[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 37, Number 42 (Monday, October 22, 2001)]
[Page 1477]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
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 non-negotiable. 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. A tape was not available for verification of the content of 
this exchange.