Clooney to star in terrorist film?

George Clooney is reportedly set to star in a forthcoming movie about Islamic terrorist group Al-Qaida.

Clooney is said to be eager to appear in 'The Challenge' - after his production company, Smokehouse, bought the rights to the book.

In the novel, journalist Jonathan Mahler recounts the tale of Guantanamo Bay inmate Salim Hamdan, who worked as a personal driver and bodyguard for Al-Qaida associate Osama bin Laden.

According to reports, Clooney will play the role of Charles Swift, a US Navy officer who helped bring Hamdan's case to the Supreme Court and won a pre-trial decision to ensure that even terrorists are covered by the Geneva Convention - a series of treaties which protects the human rights of prisoners of war.

Just last month, Hamdan was cleared of terrorism conspiracy charges, sparking outrage in the US after the jury of military officers conceded that he was "a really naive, simple guy who doesn't know the first thing about jihad and was just tagging along for the job".

According to reports, Clooney is planning to spend an estimated $30m (€20m) on the project.