Andy McCarthy: As Predicted, Obama Releases Convicted Terrorist al-Marri

An al-Qaida operative convicted on federal terrorism charges has been released to his native Qatar after being held in a U.S. civilian prison, National Review reports, citing "The Long War Journal."

The prisoner, Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri was reportedly planted in the U.S. as a so-called sleeper operative by Khalid Sheikh Mohamed. He was held not at Guantanamo Bay where other terrorist combatants have been jailed but at a federal prison after authorities convicted him of preparing to participate in the post-9/11 style attack on key U.S. targets, National Review said. His original sentence called for him to serve 8 years.

Qatar remains a crucial Middle East ally and the Justice Department released al-Marri to his homeland on Friday, the Review reported.

"The al-Marri case was a cause celebre for the Bush-deranged left because he was detained as an enemy combatant, rather than arrested and charged in court as a criminal defendant, despite being apprehended in the United States," wrote the Review's Andrew C. McCarthy.