ABU ZUBAYDAH IS IN AND WILL REMAIN IN U.S. CUSTODY, RUMSFELD SAYS

Intelligence officers will question al-Qaida terrorist leader Abu Zubaydah, but at no time will he be tortured by anyone to extract information, says U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

Directly addressing news media speculation that the United States might hand over Zubaydah to another country so that he could be tortured for information, Rumsfeld termed such reports "wrong and irresponsible."

"I saw a report (on television) that referred to a word I don't even want to use [i.e., torture], and ... it's not correct, and the implication of it is enormously unhelpful. ... And believe me, reports to that effect are wrong, inaccurate, not happening and will not happen," Rumsfeld said April 3 at a Pentagon briefing.

Responding to more questions about Zubaydah, Rumsfeld said, "I am saying we have him, he is under U.S. control at the present time, we are responsible for him, he is receiving medical care, and we intend to get every single thing out of him to try to prevent terrorist acts in the future. ... Here's a man who knows about additional acts. Here's a man who trained people to do this."

[Abu Zubaydah is reported to be one of the highest-ranking members of al-Qaida, and to have been personally responsible for selecting recruits for the group's training programs. He is being treated for gunshot wounds received during his capture by Pakistani forces several days ago.]

IRAQ'S PAYMENTS TO SUICIDE BOMBERS' FAMILIES "HUMAN SACRIFICE"

Rumsfeld began the briefing by revising some remarks of his from April 1. Whereas he previously said Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was sending $10,000 to each of the families of Palestinian suicide bombers, on April 3 he said the correct figure is $25,000 .

"Think of it," Rumsfeld said. "Here is an individual who is the head of a country, Iraq, who has proudly, publicly made a decision to go out and actively promote and finance human sacrifice for families that will have their youngsters kill innocent men, women and children. That is an example of what it is we're dealing with," he said.

NGO'S IN AFGHANISTAN COMPLAIN OF U.S. MILITARY IN CIVILIAN GARB

Rumsfeld said complaints by some non-governmental organizations doing humanitarian work in Afghanistan that U.S. military personnel assisting them are not in uniform raise a serious issue.

General Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said "we do have a limited number of U.S. personnel that are working remote areas of Afghanistan that are authorized to wear civilian clothing while they're doing their work." It is done primarily for their protection, Myers said, and because the personnel are performing legitimate civilian activities in those areas. The policy is under periodic review, Myers said, because the nature of the Afghan conflict has changed since the introduction of U.S. ground forces in October.