'sleeper cell' case questions bush authority to hold US residents as enemy combatants

from ap: The case of a U.S. resident accused of being an al-Qaida sleeper agent is raising questions about the extent of the president's wartime powers.

Ali Al-Marri came to the U.S. legally, the day before the 9/11 attacks. He arrived on a student visa to pursue a master's degree in computer science at Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois.

But the government alleges he was sent by al-Qaida to use his computer skills to disrupt the U.S. banking system and serve as a liaison for other al-Qaida operatives in the country.