The U.S. government is satisfied that France will treat former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega as a prisoner of war if he is extradited to face French money laundering charges, federal prosecutors said Thursday, according to The Associated Press. Although the U.S. has not asked France to formally declare Noriega a POW, the two governments have had detailed discussions about the issue and the State Department concluded that he will have «the same benefits he has enjoyed during his confinement in the United States,» Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael «Pat» Sullivan said in a court filing. The response comes a day after Senior U.S. District Judge William Hoeveler called a temporary halt to the extradition proceeding to review claims by Noriega's lawyers that France would not recognize his the former Panamanian leader's status. Hoeveler declared Noriega a POW after his 1992 U.S. drug conviction.
