– Saddam Hussein ended a hunger strike after missing just one meal, a U.S. official said Friday.
The former Iraqi leader announced the hunger strike through his lawyer Wednesday in protest over the killing of one of his lawyers by gunmen.
"He has resumed eating after skipping one meal," Lt. Kevin Curry told FOXNews.
Other members of the ex-president regime who joined the hunger strike have also resumed eating, Curry said.
Saddam is on trial for crimes against humanity for his role in the 1982 killing of 148 Shi'ites in Dujail and is being held at an undislosed U.S-run prison.
Khamis al-Obedi, who represented Saddam and his half brother Barzan Ibrahim, was shot to death Wednesday after being abducted from his Baghdad home by men in police uniforms. His was the third killing of a member of the former Iraqi leader's defense team since the trial began some eight months ago.
In announcing the hunger strike, Khalil al-Dulaimi, Saddam's lead council, said "They pledged not to end the strike until international protection is provided to the defense team."
There was no word on the meal Saddam ate to break the fast.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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