White House Press Release on the status of detainees at Guantanamo with a fact sheet from the on the treatment, housing, access and medical treatment of detainees. The press release makes a specific point of stating "neither the Taliban nor al-Qaida detainees are entitled to POW status" but will be afforded three meals a day that meet Muslim dietary laws, water, medical care, clothing, shoes, shelter, showers, soap and toilet articles and washcloths along with the opportunity to worship.
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For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary February 7, 2002
Fact Sheet
Status of Detainees at Guantanamo
United States Policy. -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. -The President has determined that the Geneva Convention applies to the Taliban
detainees, but not to the al-Qaida detainees. -AI-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. -
Although we never recognized the Taliban as the legitimate Afghan government, Afghanistan is a
party to the Convention, and the President has determined that the Tallban are covered by the
Convention. Under the terms of the Geneva Convention, however, the Tallban detainees do not
qualify as POWs. -Therefore, neither the Taliban nor al-Qaida detainees are entitled to POW
status.? Even though the detainees are not entitled to POW privileges, they will be provided
many POW privileges as a matter of pOlicy.
All detainees at Guantanamo are being provided: -three meals a day that meet Muslim dietary
laws -water -medical care -clothing and shoes -shelter -showers -soap and tOilet articles sleeping pads and blankets -towels and waShcloths -the opportunity to worship -correspondence
materials, and the means to send mail -the ability to receive packa.ges 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
long-term basiS. The detainees now at Guantanamo are being housed in temporary open-air
shelters until these more long-term facilities 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 Geneva Convention. However, the detainees will not
receive some of the speCific privileges afforded to p~ws, Including:
access to a canteen to purchase food, soap, and tobacco -a monthly advance of pay -the
ability to have and consult personal finanCial accounts -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 dangerous they 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
h h eh e geee e
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE UN~ASSIFIED
REVIEW AUTHORITY: ARCHIE M BOLSTER
DATE/CASE 10: 14 DEC 2004 200303827 005-001060
. TTNCLASSIFIED
treaty designed to protect prisoners orwar from innumane treatment at the hands of their captors . In conflicts covered by the Convention. It is among four treaties concluded in the wake of WWII to
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reduce the human suffering caused 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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