U.S. authorities have officially declared former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein an enemy prisoner of war.
Pentagon spokesman Michael Shavers today (Friday) described Saddam Hussein as the leader of the old regime's military forces, and therefore a member of the military. This, the spokesman argued, justifies the designation.
The Pentagon says the declaration will not affect the way former Iraqi leader is being treated, asserting he has been held in conditions consistent with the Geneva Conventions on war prisoners. Saddam Hussein was captured December 13th near his hometown of Tikrit.
British officials say that since that time, the former leader has not offered much information to his U.S. interrogators. Speaking on condition of anonymity today (Friday), a senior British official told reporters that the United States is trying to make Saddam feel, what the official called, "comfortable" before pressing for information.
The British official added that documents belonging to Saddam discovered during his capture have yielded information that in the official's words was "greater than were ever expected," and has helped U.S. forces in their battle against Iraqi insurgents.
Information for this report is provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.