September 30, 2003	Tuesday	Sha’aban 3, 1424

WASHINGTON, Sept 29: US federal agents arrested an American Muslim leader from Virginia over the weekend on criminal charges, Muslim advocacy groups said on Monday.

Federal law enforcement official confirmed his arrest but refused to give details of the charges against him.

The suspect, Abdul Rahman al-Amoudi, is one of the founders of a group called the American Muslim Armed Forces and Veteran Affairs Council and a board member of another Washington, D.C.-based group called the American Muslim Council.

He is also president of a third group called the American Muslim Federation.

A spokesman for the American Muslim Council confirmed the arrest but refused to comment.

Amoudi’s family sources say that the armed forces council is headed by another American Muslim called Qaseem Uqdah and Amoudi was no more affiliated with it.

Al-Amoudi is a US national of Yemeni origin. Newsweek magazine reported last week that al-Amoudi was under scrutiny in the Justice Department investigation that led to the recent arrest of Capt. James Yee, a Muslim chaplain to suspected terrorists at the Guantanamo naval base in Cuba.

Last year, al-Amoudi accused critics of the American Muslim Council of launching a smear campaign against the group.

AMC is an umbrella organization of mainstream Muslim groups. Last year, FBI Director Robert Mueller also addressed its annual convention in Alexandria, VA.