It also underlines U.S. authorities' belief that Islamic charities are sometimes fronts for collecting money for terrorists. Moayad's supporters say that if he had accepted money from the American, some would have gone to his charities in Yemen and some to Hamas, but none to al Qaeda. Hamas has an armed wing and has organized suicide bombings against Israelis, but it also operates social services in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, including health clinics. The U.S. government officially classifies Hamas as a terrorist organization.

The arrest has strained relations between the United States and Yemen, a U.S. ally in the war on terrorism. "We want him sent back to Yemen and we will hand him over to be dealt with by the courts if the U.S. delivered proofs of these allegations," said Mohy Dhabbi, Yemen's ambassador to Germany, in a written response to questions.

According to U.S. documents, Moayad told bin [Bin Turi] that bin Laden regarded him as his religious guide and that Maoyad supplied al Qaeda and Hamas with money and recruits. A Justice Department submission to German authorities says that a document found in Afghanistan after Sept. 11, 2001, noted that a Yemeni recruit said Moayad had referred him to a terrorist training camp.