White House Asks Court To Overturn Iraq POW Award

The Bush administration urged an appeals court Wednesday to overturn a judge's order awarding nearly $1 billion in Iraqi money to 17 Americans taken prisoner by Saddam Hussein's government during the 1991 Persian Gulf War.

Attorneys for the POWs, who were tortured and starved, countered that the award — to be paid from Iraqi government assets frozen in this country — in no way threatens the rebuilding of Iraq.