CHICAGO ÷ An Islamic charity and its director were charged with perjury yesterday and accused by the FBI of supporting terrorists who tried to obtain nuclear weapons for Osama bin Laden and plotted to assassinate the pope.

Federal agents said the Benevolence International Foundation had links to bin Laden going back decades and gave sizable amounts of cash to his al-Qaida terrorist network.

The FBI also said that members of al-Qaida have held positions within the charity, and that a man who tried to obtain uranium for bin Laden even listed the charityâs Illinois address as his home.

Enaam M. Arnaout, the head of the charity based in suburban Palos Hills, was arrested at his home yesterday. The 39-year-old Syrian-born naturalized American was ordered held for a hearing May 7.

ãThis complaint alleges Benevolence International Foundation was supporting violence secretly,ä U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald said.