WASHINGTON, July 31: A Muslim activist, who once had access to the highest levels of the US government, has pleaded guilty to involvement in a Libyan plot to assassinate Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah.

Abdurahman M. Alamoudi, 52, appeared before a court in the Washington suburb of Alexandria on Friday, and admitted to receiving nearly $1 million from Libya for the purpose.

Alamoudi, who was born in Eritrea but is now an American citizen, founded a Washington-based Muslim advocacy group, the American Muslim Council, in 1990. As its head he maintained regular contacts with senior officials of both Clinton and Bush administrations and was often invited to the White House. He also helped found the Pentagon's Muslim chaplain programme for providing religious counselling to Muslim soldiers in the US forces.

Alamoudi faces a maximum sentence of 23 years in prison and revocation of his American citizenship. He also is required to forfeit all proceeds from his illegal dealings with Libya, which total at least $910,000, including $340,000 seized from him in Britain, the US Justice Department said.

Alamoudi was arrested at London's Heathrow airport in August last year while allegedly trying to recruit dissidents into the assassination plot. He returned to Washington, where he owns a large house in a suburb, in September 2003 and was taken into custody at Dulles International Airport.

The US State Department said the charges were of concern in the relationship with Libya. "They reinforce our commitment to making sure that Libya is really out of the terrorism game," department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli said.

He added, however, that Libya had taken important actions in the global war on terror, eliminating weapons of mass destruction and had assured Washington it does not support the use of violence to settle political differences.