ABC is reporting that the army knew he had been attempting to make contact with al Qaeda.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out, given that he is alive. Will he be tried by military courts? I assume so, but I admit I don't know how all that works.

There has been a conscious effort not to incite the Muslim world by highlighting the religious impetus behind the actions of terrorists, with both Presidents Bush and Obama going so far as to emphasize that they believed Islam was a religion of peace.

But how will this play out in the courts and in public opinion? Will our concerns about him being elevated as a martyr in the Middle East temper our response to the murders he committed on American soil?