A Muslim American believed to have links with the al-Qaeda terror network has been arrested in the United States.

Relatives of James Ujaama, 36, said he surrendered to the FBI in Denver on Monday, but the authorities have made no official comment.

Mr Ujaama is reported to have had links with a fundamentalist cleric in London in the 1990s and worked on a British website advertising "the ultimate jihad challenge" - an Islamic paramilitary training course.

Associated Press said authorities believed he had taken computer equipment to an al-Qaeda terrorist camp in Afghanistan.

Seattle newspapers said Mr Ujaama was well-known in the black community and for his work at a now defunct mosque in Seattle which was under investigation by the FBI.

'No terrorist'

Witnesses said Mr Ujaama was arrested at his aunt's home, where police and FBI agents, with their guns drawn, surrounded the house before he walked out and surrendered.

His mother, Peggi Thompson said the FBI had informed her that a federal warrant had been issued for her son's arrest.

Mr Ujaama's brother Mustafa denied that his brother was a terrorist, branding the allegations "horrible and utterly ridiculous".

He said his brother, born James Ernest Thompson, had published four books including "Entrepreneur Basics 101" and "Young People's Guide to Starting a Business".

Mr Ujaama had recently moved to Denver from Seattle after living in Britain in the 1990s.

The arrest comes a few days after a Jordanian-born American, Omar Shishani, 47, was arrested at Detroit airport on suspicion of being an al-Qaeda trainee.

He was allegedly carrying $12m (�8m) in forged cheques.