    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book II)]
    [September 6, 2006]
    [Pages 1612-1620]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on the War on Terror
    September 6, 2006

        Thank you. Thanks for the warm welcome. Welcome to the White House.
    Mr. Vice President, Secretary Rice, Attorney General Gonzales, Ambassador Negroponte,
    General Hayden, Members of the United
    States Congress, families who lost loved ones in the terrorist attacks
    on our Nation, and my fellow citizens: Thanks for coming.
        On the morning of September the 11th, 2001, our Nation awoke to a
    nightmare attack. Nineteen men armed with box cutters took control of
    airplanes and turned them into missiles. They used them to kill nearly
    3,000 innocent people. We watched the Twin Towers collapse before our
    eyes, and it became instantly clear that we'd entered a new world and a
    dangerous new war.
        The attacks of September the 11th horrified our Nation. And amid the
    grief came new fears and urgent questions. Who had attacked us? What did
    they want? And what else were they planning? Americans saw the
    destruction the terrorists had caused in

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    New York and Washington and Pennsylvania, and they wondered if there
    were other terrorist cells in our midst poised to strike; they wondered
    if there was a second wave of attacks still to come.
        With the Twin Towers and the Pentagon still smoldering, our country
    on edge, and a stream of intelligence coming in about potential new
    attacks, my administration faced immediate challenges. We had to respond
    to the attack on our country. We had to wage an unprecedented war
    against an enemy unlike any we had fought before. We had to find the
    terrorists hiding in America and across the world, before they were able
    to strike our country again. So in the early days and weeks after 9/11,
    I directed our Government's senior national security officials to do
    everything in their power, within our laws, to prevent another attack.
        Nearly 5 years have passed since these--those initial days of shock
    and sadness, and we are thankful that the terrorists have not succeeded
    in launching another attack on our soil. This is not for the lack of
    desire or determination on the part of the enemy. As the recently foiled
    plot in London shows, the terrorists are still active, and they're still
    trying to strike America, and they're still trying to kill our people.
    One reason the terrorists have not succeeded is because of the hard work
    of thousands of dedicated men and women in our Government, who have
    toiled day and night, along with our allies, to stop the enemy from
    carrying out their plans. And we are grateful for these hard-working
    citizens of ours. Another reason the terrorists have not succeeded is
    because our Government has changed its policies and given our military,
    intelligence, and law enforcement personnel the tools they need to fight
    this enemy and protect our people and preserve our freedoms.
        The terrorists who declared war on America represent no nation, they
    defend no territory, and they wear no uniform. They do not mass armies
    on borders or flotillas of warships on the high seas. They operate in
    the shadows of society. They send small teams of operatives to
    infiltrate free nations; they live quietly among their victims; they
    conspire in secret, and then they strike without warning. In this new
    war, the most important source of information on where the terrorists
    are hiding and what they are planning is the terrorists themselves.
        Captured terrorists have unique knowledge about how terrorist
    networks operate. They have knowledge of where their operatives are
    deployed and knowledge about what plots are underway. This
    intelligence--this is intelligence that cannot be found any other place,
    and our security depends on getting this kind of information. To win the
    war on terror, we must be able to detain, question, and, when
    appropriate, prosecute terrorists captured here in America and on the
    battlefields around the world.
        After the 9/11 attacks, our coalition launched operations across the
    world to remove terrorist safe havens and capture or kill terrorist
    operatives and leaders. Working with our allies, we've captured and
    detained thousands of terrorists and enemy fighters in Afghanistan, in
    Iraq, and other fronts of this war on terror. These enemy--these are
    enemy combatants who were waging war on our Nation. We have a right
    under the laws of war, and we have an obligation to the American people,
    to detain these enemies and stop them from rejoining the battle.
        Most of the enemy combatants we capture are held in Afghanistan or
    in Iraq, where they're questioned by our military personnel. Many are
    released after questioning or turned over to local authorities, if we
    determine that they do not pose a continuing threat and no longer have
    significant intelligence value. Others remain in American custody near
    the battlefield to ensure that they don't return to the fight.

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        In some cases, we determine that individuals we have captured pose a
    significant threat or may have intelligence that we and our allies need
    to have to prevent new attacks. Many are Al Qaida operatives or Taliban
    fighters trying to conceal their identities, and they withhold
    information that could save American lives. In these cases, it has been
    necessary to move these individuals to an environment where they can be
    held secretly, questioned by experts, and, when appropriate, prosecuted
    for terrorist acts.
        Some of these individuals are taken to the United States Naval Base
    at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. It's important for Americans and others across
    the world to understand the kind of people held at Guantanamo. These
    aren't common criminals or bystanders accidentally swept up on the
    battlefield. We have in place a rigorous process to ensure those held at
    Guantanamo Bay belong at Guantanamo. Those held at Guantanamo include
    suspected bombmakers, terrorist trainers, recruiters and facilitators,
    and potential suicide bombers. They are in our custody so they cannot
    murder our people. One detainee held at Guantanamo told a questioner
    questioning him--he said this: ``I'll never forget your face. I will
    kill you, your brothers, your mother, and your sisters.''
        In addition to the terrorists held at Guantanamo, a small number of
    suspected terrorist leaders and operatives captured during the war have
    been held and questioned outside the United States, in a separate
    program operated by the Central Intelligence Agency. This group includes
    individuals believed to be the key architects of the September the 11th
    attacks and attacks on the USS Cole, an operative involved in the
    bombings of our Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, and individuals
    involved in other attacks that have taken the lives of innocent
    civilians across the world. These are dangerous men with unparalleled
    knowledge about terrorist networks and their plans of new attacks. The
    security of our Nation and the lives of our citizens depend on our
    ability to learn what these terrorists know.
        Many specifics of this program, including where these detainees have
    been held and the details of their confinement, cannot be divulged.
    Doing so would provide our enemies with information they could use to
    take retribution against our allies and harm our country. I can say that
    questioning the detainees in this program has given us information that
    has saved innocent lives by helping us stop new attacks, here in the
    United States and across the world.
        Today I'm going to share with you some of the examples provided by
    our intelligence community of how this program has saved lives, why it
    remains vital to the security of the United States and our friends and
    allies, and why it deserves the support of the United States Congress
    and the American people.
        Within months of September the 11th, 2001, we captured a man named
    Abu Zubaydah. We believe that Zubaydah was a
    senior terrorist leader and a trusted associate of Usama bin Laden. Our intelligence community believes he had run a
    terrorist camp in Afghanistan, where some of the 9/11 hijackers trained,
    and that he helped smuggle Al Qaida leaders out of Afghanistan after
    coalition forces arrived to liberate that country. Zubaydah was severely
    wounded during the firefight that brought him into custody, and he
    survived only because of the medical care arranged by the CIA.
        After he recovered, Zubaydah was defiant
    and evasive. He declared his hatred of America. During questioning, he
    at first disclosed what he thought was nominal information, and then
    stopped all cooperation. Well, in fact, the ``nominal'' information he
    gave us turned out to be quite important. For example, Zubaydah
    disclosed Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, or
    KSM, was the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks and used the alias
    Muktar. This was a vital

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    piece of the puzzle that helped our intelligence community pursue KSM.
    Zubaydah also provided information that helped stop a terrorist attack
    being planned for inside the United States, an attack about which we had
    no previous information. Zubaydah told us that Al Qaida operatives were
    planning to launch an attack in the U.S. and provided physical
    descriptions of the operatives and information on their general
    location. Based on the information he provided, the operatives were
    detained, one while traveling to the United States.
        We knew that Zubaydah had more information
    that could save innocent lives, but he stopped talking. As his
    questioning proceeded, it became clear that he had received training on
    how to resist interrogation. And so the CIA used an alternative set of
    procedures. These procedures were designed to be safe, to comply with
    our laws, our Constitution, and our treaty obligations. The Department
    of Justice reviewed the authorized methods extensively and determined
    them to be lawful. I cannot describe the specific methods used. I think
    you understand why; if I did, it would help the terrorists learn how to
    resist questioning and to keep information from us that we need to
    prevent new attacks on our country. But I can say the procedures were
    tough, and they were safe and lawful and necessary.
        Zubaydah was questioned using these
    procedures, and soon he began to provide information on key Al Qaida
    operatives, including information that helped us find and capture more
    of those responsible for the attacks on September the 11th. For example,
    Zubaydah identified one of KSM's
    accomplices in the 9/11 attacks, a terrorist named Ramzi bin al-
    Shibh. The information Zubaydah provided
    helped lead to the capture of bin al-Shibh. And together these two
    terrorists provided information that helped in the planning and
    execution of the operation that captured Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.
        Once in our custody, KSM was
    questioned by the CIA using these procedures, and he soon provided
    information that helped us stop another planned attack on the United
    States. During questioning, KSM told us about another Al Qaida operative
    he knew was in CIA custody, a terrorist named Majid Khan. KSM revealed that Khan had been told to deliver $50,000
    to individuals working for a suspected terrorist leader named
    Hambali, the leader of
    Al Qaida's Southeast Asian affiliate known as JI. CIA officers
    confronted Khan with this information. Khan confirmed that the money had
    been delivered to an operative named Zubair and
    provided both a physical description and contact number for this
    operative.
        Based on that information, Zubair was
    captured in June of 2003, and he soon provided information that helped
    lead to the capture of Hambali. After Hambali's arrest, KSM was questioned again. He identified Hambali's
    brother as the leader of a JI cell
    and Hambali's conduit for communications with Al Qaida. Hambali's
    brother was soon captured in Pakistan and in turn led us to a cell of 17
    Southeast Asian JI operatives. When confronted with the news that his
    terror cell had been broken up, Hambali admitted that the operatives
    were being groomed at KSM's request for attacks inside the United
    States, probably using airplanes.
        During questioning, KSM also
    provided many details of other plots to kill innocent Americans. For
    example, he described the design of planned attacks on buildings inside
    the United States and how operatives were directed to carry them out. He
    told us the operatives had been instructed to ensure that the explosives
    went off at a point that was high enough to prevent the people trapped
    above from escaping out the windows.
        KSM also provided vital
    information on Al Qaida's efforts to obtain biological weapons. During
    questioning, KSM admitted that he had met three individuals involved

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    in Al Qaida's efforts to produce anthrax, a deadly biological agent, and
    he identified one of the individuals as a terrorist named Yazid. KSM apparently believed we already had this
    information, because Yazid had been captured and taken into foreign
    custody before KSM's arrest. In fact, we did not know about Yazid's role
    in Al Qaida's anthrax program. Information from Yazid then helped lead
    to the capture of his two principal assistants in the anthrax program.
    Without the information provided by KSM and Yazid, we might not have
    uncovered this Al Qaida biological weapons program or stopped this Al
    Qaida cell from developing anthrax for attacks against the United
    States.
        These are some of the plots that have been stopped because of the
    information of this vital program. Terrorists held in CIA custody have
    also provided information that helped stop a planned strike on U.S.
    marines at Camp Lemonier in Djibouti--they were going to use an
    explosive laden water tanker. They helped stop a planned attack on the
    U.S. consulate in Karachi using car bombs and motorcycle bombs, and they
    helped stop a plot to hijack passenger planes and fly them into Heathrow
    or the Canary Wharf in London.
        We're getting vital information necessary to do our jobs, and that's
    to protect the American people and our allies. Information from the
    terrorists in this program has helped us to identify individuals that Al
    Qaida deemed suitable for Western operations, many of whom we had never
    heard about before. They include terrorists who were set to case targets
    inside the United States, including financial buildings in major cities
    on the east coast. Information from terrorists in CIA custody has played
    a role in the capture or questioning of nearly every senior Al Qaida
    member or associate detained by the U.S. and its allies since this
    program began. By providing everything from initial leads to photo
    identifications to precise locations of where terrorists were hiding,
    this program has helped us to take potential mass murderers off the
    streets before they were able to kill.
        This program has also played a critical role in helping us
    understand the enemy we face in this war. Terrorists in this program
    have painted a picture of Al Qaida's structure and financing and
    communications and logistics. They identified Al Qaida's travel routes
    and safe havens and explained how Al Qaida's senior leadership
    communicates with its operatives in places like Iraq. They provided
    information that allows us--that has allowed us to make sense of
    documents and computer records that we have seized in terrorist raids.
    They've identified voices in recordings of intercepted calls and helped
    us understand the meaning of potentially critical terrorist
    communications.
        The information we get from these detainees is corroborated by
    intelligence, and we've received--that we've received from other
    sources, and together this intelligence has helped us connect the dots
    and stop attacks before they occur. Information from the terrorists
    questioned in this program helped unravel plots and terrorist cells in
    Europe and in other places. It's helped our allies protect their people
    from deadly enemies. This program has been and remains one of the most
    vital tools in our war against the terrorists. It is invaluable to
    America and to our allies. Were it not for this program, our
    intelligence community believes that Al Qaida and its allies would have
    succeeded in launching another attack against the American homeland. By
    giving us information about terrorist plans we could not get anywhere
    else, this program has saved innocent lives.
        This program has been subject to multiple legal reviews by the
    Department of Justice and CIA lawyers; they've determined it complied
    with our laws. This program has received strict oversight by the CIA's
    Inspector General. A small number of key
    leaders from both political parties on Capitol Hill were briefed about
    this program. All those involved in the questioning

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    of the terrorists are carefully chosen, and they're screened from a pool
    of experienced CIA officers. Those selected to conduct the most
    sensitive questioning had to complete more than 250 additional hours of
    specialized training before they are allowed to have contact with a
    captured terrorist.
        I want to be absolutely clear with our people and the world: The
    United States does not torture. It's against our laws, and it's against
    our values. I have not authorized it, and I will not authorize it. Last
    year, my administration worked with Senator John McCain, and I signed into law the Detainee Treatment Act, which
    established the legal standard for treatment of detainees wherever they
    are held. I support this act. And as we implement this law, our
    Government will continue to use every lawful method to obtain
    intelligence that can protect innocent people and stop another attack
    like the one we experienced on September the 11th, 2001.
        The CIA program has detained only a limited number of terrorists at
    any given time, and once we've determined that the terrorists held by
    the CIA have little or no additional intelligence value, many of them
    have been returned to their home countries for prosecution or detention
    by their governments. Others have been accused of terrible crimes
    against the American people, and we have a duty to bring those
    responsible for these crimes to justice. So we intend to prosecute these
    men, as appropriate, for their crimes.
        Soon after the war on terror began, I authorized a system of
    military commissions to try foreign terrorists accused of war crimes.
    Military commissions have been used by Presidents from George Washington
    to Franklin Roosevelt to prosecute war criminals, because the rules for
    trying enemy combatants in a time of conflict must be different from
    those for trying common criminals or members of our own military.
        One of the first suspected terrorists to be put on trial by military
    commission was one of Usama bin Laden's
    bodyguards, a man named Hamdan. His
    lawyers challenged the legality of the military commission system. It
    took more than 2 years for this case to make its way through the courts.
    The Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld the
    military commissions we had designed, but this past June, the Supreme
    Court overturned that decision. The Supreme Court determined that
    military commissions are an appropriate venue for trying terrorists but
    ruled that military commissions needed to be explicitly authorized by
    the United States Congress.
        So today I'm sending Congress legislation to specifically authorize
    the creation of military commissions to try terrorists for war crimes.
    My administration has been working with members of both parties in the
    House and Senate on this legislation. We put forward a bill that ensures
    these commissions are established in a way that protects our national
    security and ensures a full and fair trial for those accused. The
    procedures in the bill I am sending to Congress today reflect the
    reality that we are a nation at war and that it's essential for us to
    use all reliable evidence to bring these people to justice.
        We're now approaching the 5-year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks,
    and the families of those murdered that day have waited patiently for
    justice. Some of the families are with us today. They should have to
    wait no longer.
        So I'm announcing today that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Abu Zubaydah, Ramzi
    bin al-Shibh, and 11 other terrorists in
    CIA custody have been transferred to the United States Naval Base at
    Guantanamo Bay. They are being held in the custody of the Department of
    Defense. As soon as Congress acts to authorize the military commissions
    I have proposed, the men our intelligence officials believe orchestrated
    the deaths of nearly 3,000 Americans on September the 11th, 2001, can
    face justice. We'll also seek to prosecute those believed

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    to be responsible for the attack on the USS Cole and an operative
    believed to be involved in the bombings of the American Embassies in
    Kenya and Tanzania. With these prosecutions, we will send a clear
    message to those who kill Americans: No longer--how long it takes, we
    will find you, and we will bring you to justice.
        These men will be held in a high-security facility at Guantanamo.
    The International Committee of the Red Cross is being advised of their
    detention and will have the opportunity to meet with them. Those charged
    with crimes will be given access to attorneys who will help them prepare
    their defense, and they will be presumed innocent. While at Guantanamo,
    they will have access to the same food, clothing, medical care, and
    opportunities for worship as other detainees. They will be questioned
    subject to the new U.S. Army Field Manual, which the Department of
    Defense is issuing today. And they will continue to be treated with the
    humanity that they denied others.
        As we move forward with the prosecutions, we will continue to urge
    nations across the world to take back their nationals at Guantanamo who
    will not be prosecuted by our military commissions. America has no
    interest in being the world's jailer. But one of the reasons we have not
    been able to close Guantanamo is that many countries have refused to
    take back their nationals held at the facility. Other countries have not
    provided adequate assurances that their nationals will not be mistreated
    or they will not return to the battlefield, as more than a dozen people
    released from Guantanamo already have. We will continue working to
    transfer individuals held at Guantanamo and ask other countries to work
    with us in this process. And we will move toward the day when we can
    eventually close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay.
        I know Americans have heard conflicting information about
    Guantanamo. Let me give you some facts. Of the thousands of terrorists
    captured across the world, only about 770 have ever been sent to
    Guantanamo. Of these, about 315 have been returned to other countries so
    far, and about 455 remain in our custody. They are provided the same
    quality of medical care as the American servicemembers who guard them.
    The International Committee of the Red Cross has the opportunity to meet
    privately with all who are held there. The facility has been visited by
    government officials from more than 30 countries and delegations from
    international organizations as well. After the Organization for Security
    and Cooperation in Europe came to visit, one of its delegation
    members called Guantanamo ``a model prison,''
    where people are treated better than in prisons in his own country. Our
    troops can take great pride in the work they do at Guantanamo Bay, and
    so can the American people.
        As we prosecute suspected terrorist leaders and operatives who have
    now been transferred to Guantanamo, we'll continue searching for those
    who have stepped forward to take their places. This Nation is going to
    stay on the offense to protect the American people. We will continue to
    bring the world's most dangerous terrorists to justice, and we will
    continue working to collect the vital intelligence we need to protect
    our country. The current transfers mean that there are now no terrorists
    in the CIA program. But as more high-ranking terrorists are captured,
    the need to obtain intelligence from them will remain critical. And
    having a CIA program for questioning terrorists will continue to be
    crucial to getting lifesaving information.
        Some may ask: Why are you acknowledging this program now? There are
    two reasons why I'm making these limited disclosures today. First, we
    have largely completed our questioning of the men, and to start the
    process for bringing them to trial, we must bring them into the open.
    Second, the Supreme Court's recent decision has impaired our ability to
    prosecute terrorists through military commissions and has put in
    question the future of the CIA program.

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    In its ruling on military commissions, the Court determined that a
    provision of the Geneva Conventions known as Common Article Three
    applies to our war with Al Qaida. This article includes provisions that
    prohibit ``outrages upon personal dignity'' and ``humiliating and
    degrading treatment.'' The problem is that these and other provisions of
    Common Article Three are vague and undefined, and each could be
    interpreted in different ways by American or foreign judges. And some
    believe our military and intelligence personnel involved in capturing
    and questioning terrorists could now be at risk of prosecution under the
    War Crimes Act, simply for doing their jobs in a thorough and
    professional way.
        This is unacceptable. Our military and intelligence personnel go
    face to face with the world's most dangerous men every day. They have
    risked their lives to capture some of the most brutal terrorists on
    Earth. And they have worked day and night to find out what the
    terrorists know so we can stop new attacks. America owes our brave men
    and women some things in return. We owe them their thanks for saving
    lives and keeping America safe. And we owe them clear rules, so they can
    continue to do their jobs and protect our people.
        So today I'm asking Congress to pass legislation that will clarify
    the rules for our personnel fighting the war on terror. First, I'm
    asking Congress to list the specific, recognizable offenses that would
    be considered crimes under the War Crimes Act so our personnel can know
    clearly what is prohibited in the handling of terrorist enemies. Second,
    I'm asking that Congress make explicit that by following the standards
    of the Detainee Treatment Act, our personnel are fulfilling America's
    obligations under Common Article Three of the Geneva Conventions. Third,
    I'm asking that Congress make it clear that captured terrorists cannot
    use the Geneva Conventions as a basis to sue our personnel in courts--in
    U.S. courts. The men and women who protect us should not have to fear
    lawsuits filed by terrorists because they're doing their jobs.
        The need for this legislation is urgent. We need to ensure that
    those questioning terrorists can continue to do everything within the
    limits of the law to get information that can save American lives. My
    administration will continue to work with the Congress to get this
    legislation enacted, but time is of the essence. Congress is in session
    just for a few more weeks, and passing this legislation ought to be the
    top priority.
        As we work with Congress to pass a good bill, we will also consult
    with congressional leaders on how to ensure that the CIA program goes
    forward in a way that follows the law, that meets the national security
    needs of our country, and protects the brave men and women we ask to
    obtain information that will save innocent lives. For the sake of our
    security, Congress needs to act and update our laws to meet the threats
    of this new era. And I know they will.
        We're engaged in a global struggle, and the entire civilized world
    has a stake in its outcome. America is a nation of law. And as I work
    with Congress to strengthen and clarify our laws here at home, I will
    continue to work with members of the international community who have
    been our partners in this struggle. I've spoken with leaders of foreign
    governments and worked with them to address their concerns about
    Guantanamo and our detention policies. I'll continue to work with the
    international community to construct a common foundation to defend our
    nations and protect our freedoms.
        Free nations have faced new enemies and adjusted to new threats
    before, and we have prevailed. Like the struggles of the last century,
    today's war on terror is, above all, a struggle for freedom and liberty.
    The adversaries are different, but the stakes in this war are the same.
    We're fighting for our way of life and our ability to live in freedom.
    We're fighting for the cause of humanity against those who seek

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    to impose the darkness of tyranny and terror upon the entire world. And
    we're fighting for a peaceful future for our children and our
    grandchildren.
        May God bless you all.

    Note: The President spoke at 1:45 p.m. in the East Room at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to Usama bin Laden, leader of the Al
    Qaida terrorist organization; Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, senior Al Qaida
    leader responsible for planning the September 11, 2001, terrorist
    attacks, who was captured in Pakistan on March 1, 2003; Ramzi bin al-
    Shibh, an Al Qaida operative suspected of helping to plan the September
    11, 2001, terrorist attacks, who was captured in Karachi, Pakistan, on
    September 11, 2002; and Nurjaman Riduan Isamuddin (also known as
    Hambali), Al Qaida's chief operational planner in Southeast Asia, who
    was captured in Thailand on August 11, 2003.