Former Panamanian leader Noriega appears in US court on French extradition request

An artistic rendering shows former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega, right; defense attorney Jon May, center foreground; U.S. Attorney Michael 'Pat' Sullivan, left; and U.S. Magistrate Judge William Turnoff , background, during a hearing in Miami, Thursday, July 26, 2007, as Noriega fights France's request to extradite him to face money laundering charges there. (AP Photo/Shirley Henderson)
Former Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega has appeared in a US court to fight France's request to extradite him on money laundering charges. Noriega wants to return to Panama after completing his US prison term in September.
The US judge set another hearing on France's extradition request for August 28th. This gives Noriega's lawyers time to pursue separate claims that he must be allowed to return to Panama, because Noriega is being held in the US as a prisoner of war. Noriega's defense attorney accused Panama of failing to pursue its extradition request.
Thursday's hearing took place in the same Miami courtroom where Noriega was convicted of drug trafficking and racketeering charges in 1992.