White House Memo re: Office of Press Secretary Fact Sheet on Status of Detainees at Guantanamo

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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For immediate Release D'ebruary. 7, 2002

FACT SHEET

Status of Detainees at Guantanamo

United States Policy.
e The United States is treating and will continue to treat
all of the individuals detained at Guantanamo humanely and/
to the extent appropriate and consistent with military .
necessity, in a manner consistent with the principles of
the Third Geneva Convention of 1949.

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The President has determined that the Geneva COnvention­applies to the Taliban detainees, but not to the al-Qaida.
detainees.

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Al'.-Qaida is not a state party to the Geneva Convention; it
is a foreign terrorist group. As such, its members are.not
entitled to pow status.

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Although we never recognized _the Taliban aseh4
Afghan government, Afghanistan is a party to the
Convention, and the President has determined' that the
Taliban are covered by the Convention. Under the terms of
the Geneva Convention, however, the Taliban detainees do
not qualify as P0140.

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Therefore, neither the Taliban nor al-Qaida detainees are

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entitled to POW. status.'
O Even though the detainees are not entitled to POW .
privileges, they will be provided many POW privileges as a
patter of policy. ,

All detainees at Guantanamo are being provided:. .

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three meals a day that meet Muslim dietary laws

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water

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medical. care

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clothing and shoes

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shelter

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showers

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soap and toilet articles e

. . UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE REVIEW AUTHORITY:,WILLIAM JtEIIRON.:
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foam sleeping pads and blankets

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towels and washcloths .

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the opportunity to worship ..'• •

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correspondence materials, and the means.t0-send Mail

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the ability to receive packages of' food.and clothing,
subject to . security screening

The detainees will not be. subjected to physical or'mental abuse Or cruel treatment. The International. Committee of the Red Cross has visited and will continue to be able to visit the detainees privately. The detainees will be permitted to raise concerns about their conditions and we will attempt to address those concerns consistent with security.
Housing. We are .building facilities in Guantanamo more
appropriate for housing the detainees on a longterm basis. The

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detainees now at Guantanamo are being housed in temporary open-.

air shelters until these more long-term -favilit-iea—can-be.--: ---arranged. Their current shelters are reasonable in light of the serious security risk posed by these detainees and the mild climate of Cuba.
POW Privileges the Detainees will not receive. The detainees

will receive much of the treatment normally afforded to POWs by
the Third Genen_ConYention, However,_ the_detainees_will_not
receive some of the specific privileges afforded to POWs,
including:

a

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access to a "canteen to purchase food, Soap, and tobacco '

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a monthly advance of pay

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the ability to have and consult personal financial accounts

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the ability to receive scientific equipment, musical
'instruments, or sports outfits

Many, detainees at GUantanamo pose a severe security risk to
those responsible for guarding them and to each other., Some of
these individuals demonstrated how dangerousthey are in •
uprisings at Mazar-e-Sharif and in Pakistan. The United States
must take into account-the need for security in establishing the

'conditions for detention at Guantanamo.

Background on Geneva Conventions; The Third Geneva ConVention
of 1949 is an international treaty designed to protect prisoners
ofwar from inhumane treatment at the hands* of their captors in

,
conflicts covered by the Convention. It is among four treaties

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concluded in the wake of WWII to reduce the human suffering*
ceased by war.. These four treaties provide protections for four
different classes of people: the military wounded and sick in
land conflicts; the military wounded, sick and shipwrecked in
conflicts at sea; military persons and civilians accompanying
the armed forces in the field who are captured and qualify as
prisoners of war; and civilian non-combatants who are interned,
or otherwise found in the hands of a party (e.g. in a military
occupation) during an armed conflict.

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