    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2001, Book II)]
    [October 14, 2001]
    [Page 1238]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Exchange With Reporters on Returning From Camp David, Maryland
    October 14, 2001

    Taliban

        Q. Mr. President, there's a new offer from the Taliban to turn over
    bin Laden. What's your response to that, sir?
        The President. Turn him over. Turn him
    over; turn his cohorts over; turn any hostages they hold over; destroy
    all the terrorist camps. There's no need to negotiate. There's no
    discussions. I told them exactly what they need to do. And there's no
    need to discuss innocence or guilt. We know he's guilty. Turn him over.
    If they want us to stop our military operations, they've just got to
    meet my conditions. Now, when I said no negotiation, I meant no
    negotiation.
        Q. You reject his offer?
        The President. I don't know what the offer is. All they've got to do
    is turn him over, and his colleagues and the
    stocks he hides, as well as destroy his camps, and the innocent people
    being held hostage in Afghanistan.
        Q. They want you to stop the bombing and see evidence.
        The President. There's no negotiation--they must have not heard--
    there's no negotiation. This is nonnegotiable. These people, if they're
    interested in us stopping our military operations--we will do so if they
    meet the conditions that I outlined in my speech to the United States
    Congress. It's as simple as that. There's nothing to negotiate about.
    They're harboring a terrorist, and they need to turn him over--and not only turn him over, turn the Al Qaida
    organization over, destroy all the terrorist camps--actually, we're
    doing a pretty good job of that right now--and release the hostages they
    hold. That's all they've got to do, but there is no negotiation, period.

    Note: The exchange began at approximately noon on the South Lawn at the
    White House. In his remarks, the President referred to Usama bin Laden,
    leader of the Al Qaida terrorist organization. A tape was not available
    for verification of the content of this exchange.