[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 36 (Monday, September 11, 2006)]
[Pages 1569-1576]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
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 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.

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    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.
    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

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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 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

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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 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.

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    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 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 to be responsible for the attack 
on the USS Cole and an operative believed to be involved in the bombings 
of

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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 life-saving 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. 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

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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 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 
attack, 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 attack, 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.

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