WASHINGTON - But Mr Rumsfeld pointed out that the former Iraqi dictator "clearly was compliant or resigned" when US troops took him into custody and moved him to a secure, undisclosed location.

Speaking on CBS' 60 Minutes on Sunday, Mr Rumsfeld also made clear that he could not rule out that Saddam might decide to cooperate in the future.

"I think it's a bit early to try to characterise his demeanour," he said.

In Baghdad, a US general said intelligence gathered from documents in a briefcase found in Saddam's possession had already led to the arrest of a number of insurgents.

"We've already gleaned intelligence value from his capture," said Brigadier-General Mark Hertling of the 1st Armored Division.

"We've already been able to capture a couple of key individuals here in Baghdad. We've completely confirmed one of the cells. It's putting the pieces together and it's connecting the dots. It has already helped us significantly."

He added: "I'm sure he was giving some guidance to some key figures in this insurgency."

Time magazine reported earlier on Sunday that during his first interrogation, Saddam had denied his regime had any weapons of mass destruction.

"No, of course not," the weekly quoted him as saying.

"The US dreamed them up itself to have a reason to go to war with us."

The interrogator then asked: "If you had no weapons of mass destruction, then why not let the UN inspectors into your facilities?'

Saddam replied: "We didn't want them to go into the presidential areas and intrude on our privacy."

When asked "How are you?", Saddam responded: "I am sad because my people are in bondage."

When offered a glass of water by his interrogators, Saddam replied: "If I drink water I will have to go to the bathroom and how can I use the bathroom when my people are in bondage?"

Mr Rumsfeld has said Washington will grant Saddam the protection of a prisoner of war as governed by the Geneva convention.

AFP, AP, Reuters

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