In February 2002, President Bush determined that Al Qaeda terrorists were not 
prisoners of war under the treaty known as the Third Geneva Convention. Al Qaeda 
could not be a party to the convention because it is not a state. The president 
also determined that while the Taliban - Al Qaeda's collaborators - were covered 
by the treaty, they did not qualify as prisoners of war under the terms of the 
treaty. It stipulates that combatants must distinguish themselves from the 
civilian population, which the Taliban clearly did not.


...Despite being a crucial front in the war on terrorism, Iraq presents a very 
different situation. Both the United States and Iraq are parties to the Geneva 
Conventions. The United States recognizes that these treaties are binding in the 
war for the liberation of Iraq. There has never been any suggestion by our 
government that the conventions do not apply in that conflict. Although recent 
news reports from Iraq have caused some to question our commitment to the 
treaties, make no mistake that the United States is bound to observe the rules 
of war in the Geneva Conventions.


The abuse of any prisoner is abhorrent. Americans, including the hundreds of 
thousands who serve with dedication and honor in our armed forces, viewed the 
images of the treatment of detainees in Abu Ghraib prison with disbelief and 
anger. The United States government understands and seeks to comply with its 
legal obligations and will act swiftly and responsibly under the law to address 
violations of those obligations. We must both protect our citizens from attacks 
by terrorists and protect the values our citizens cherish.