MONTREAL — The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation detained an alleged al Qaeda member in 2001, warning the Montrealer he was on a list of terrorists, say court documents released Friday.

The documents include Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) interviews with Adil Charkaoui conducted before and after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington.

The Federal Court released the CSIS summary on Friday, at the start of a hearing to determine whether Charkaoui, 29, should be deported to his native Morocco.

He's being detained on a rarely used security certificate, which is the first step in the deportation process.

According to CSIS, Charkaoui said FBI agents detained him for four hours on Jan. 30, 2001, at John F. Kennedy airport in New York as he returned to Montreal from Morocco.

"The FBI told Charkaoui he had been placed on a list of international terrorists who are being sought for having carried out activities in support of terrorism," CSIS says in a summary of a Feb. 27, 2001, meeting with Charkaoui.

He has denied involvement with any terrorist groups.

Charkaoui was interviewed by CSIS on three occasions, including Sept. 14, 2001 -- three days after the devastating jetliner attacks that killed thousands of civilians.

CSIS says it asked Charkaoui to swear that he had never overheard a conversation about having a plane blown up. CSIS says Charkaoui refused their request.

During another interview on July 26, 2002, CSIS says Charkaoui denied he had ever trained in al-Qaeda camps in Afghanistan, as the Canadian government suggests.

He was noncommittal when agents asked him if he would take a lie-detector test to confirm his statements, CSIS says.

The agency also says Charkaoui told them al-Qaeda didn't have sufficient resources to carry out a Sept. 11-style attack.

According to the agency, Charkaoui speculated that right-wing American extremists or disgruntled U.S. army officers may have been responsible for the carnage.

CSIS maintains Charkaoui is an al-Qaeda sleeper agent who could be activated at any time.

Charkaoui, a permanent Canadian resident who arrived here in 1995, was arrested last week by an anti-terrorism police team.

His lawyers will be back in Federal Court on July 2 to seek his release on bail.

The Moroccan student was clean shaven and handcuffed during an appearance at his Federal Court hearing on Friday.

Toronto lawyer Rocco Galati told Justice Simon Noel the defence was not yet ready to make arguments, and needed more time to prepare a defence.

Galati said it's unacceptable that his client is in jail without knowing details of the case against him.

Most of the evidence is classified for reasons of national security.

"If they have the evidence, why don't they charge him under the Criminal Code?" Galati thundered.

"We've reverted to a pre-English Bill of Rights, a pre-French Revolution system of royal rule and no constitutional rights whatsoever where we can decide these things in secret."

The Federal Court was packed on Friday with friends, family and supporters of Charkaoui.

Among them was Salam Elmenyawi, a Muslim religious leader and president of the Muslim Council of Montreal.

Elmenyawi said Muslims are being unfairly targeted for deportation even though the public doesn't know all of the allegations.

"This is like the Inquisition against Muslims," said Elmenyawi.

But the religious leader stopped short of proclaiming Charkaoui's innocence.

"This is not about the innocence or guilt of Mr. Charkaoui," he said.

"This is about fundamental justice. We are seeking justice for everyone."

The documents released to the public don't link Charkaoui to any specific terrorist plots or attacks.

But CSIS does allege a direct link between Charkaoui and Canadian terrorism suspect Abdellah Ouzghar.

CSIS says Charkaoui acknowledged in the February 2001 interview that Ouzghar was a student at a karate school he operated above a Montreal mosque.

Ouzghar is under house arrest in Hamilton, Ont., fighting extradition.

CSIS also says Charkaoui is linked to several members of a Montreal al-Qaeda cell that operated in the city in the 1990s.

A CSIS summary released on Tuesday linked Charkaoui with Ahmed Ressam, who was convicted of planning to bomb U.S. targets during millennium celebrations. Charkaoui says he doesn't know Ressam.

Galati warned that Charkaoui will be tortured and killed if he's deported to Morocco. The lawyer said he's prepared to go to the Supreme Court if his client is denied bail.