Former 'enemy combatant' pleads guilty

From Terry Frieden
CNN Justice Producer
WASHINGTON (CNN) - Ali al-Marri, once the only designated "enemy combatant" on U.S. soil, has pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to provide material support to al Qaeda, the Justice Department said Thursday.

Al-Marri, who was the subject of an intense battle over the legal status of terrorism suspects in U.S. custody, was ordered by the Obama administration to be taken from military custody in South Carolina and flown to Peoria, Illinois, to face criminal charges of aiding al Qaeda.

Al-Marri made the surprise plea during a two-hour hearing in a federal courtroom in Peoria.