American al-Qaeda?

Maybe the FBI and al-Qaeda should coordinate a frequent flyer program. Last week yet another alleged al-Qaeda sympathizer in Southeast Asia was handed over to American officials and sent packing to the U.S. on a military plane. Slight difference this time: the suspect is an American. U.S. authorities claim Ahmed Ibrahim Bilal, who was deported from Malaysia on Oct. 11 after his passport was revoked by Washington, is part of a six-person al-Qaeda terror cell based in Oregon. The group is alleged to have "conspired to wage war" against the U.S., most notably when five of them sought to enter Afghanistan last fall to fight in support of the Taliban. Four of the six, including Bilal's brother, have been arrested in the U.S., while one suspect remains at large. Bilal himself flatly denies the charge. A straight-A student at Kuala Lumpur's International Islamic University, Bilal was well-liked by his peers and, odd for an alleged terrorist, noted for his American patriotism. The 25-year-old also planned to marry his girlfriend this December. It could be a lengthy engagement.