Washington: An influential Muslim leader in the United States, Abdurrahman Alamoudi, was arrested as part of a wide-ranging probe on terror funding, and charged with illegally accepting money from Libya for persuading Washington to lift sanctions against that nation.

Alamoudi, the leader of the American Muslim Council, who was arrested on September 28 at the Dulles International Airport as he entered United States from Britain, also allegedly attempted to smuggle into Syria hundreds of thousands of Dollars whose final destination is not known, US officials said.

Alamoudi, who is of Erritrean origin, met frequently with senior Clinton and Bush Administration officials and was the chief architect of the Pentagon's Muslim chaplain programme, 'The Washington Post' reported.

US authorities said that the arrest is an important step in the wide-ranging investigation of funding for terrorism in the country. It is a probe that centres on a cluster of foundations and businesses based in Herndon, Virginia, a Washington suburb.

Agents for the Department of Homeland Security alleged that Alamoudi received $ 340,000 from Libyan officials as part of a longstanding relationship with their government.

In exchange for financial assistance for Muslim activist groups he founded in the United States, authorities said Alamoudi was trying to help persuade the United States to lift sanctions against that nation.

These organisations contributed heavily to friendly members of Congress who backed causes sponsored by Muslim countries, including Pakistan over Kashmir issue.

PTI