Text 1944, 72 rader
Skriven 2005-12-30 23:33:14 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0512309) for Fri, 2005 Dec 30
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Statement by the President
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
December 30, 2005

Statement by the President



STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT

The Department of Defense, Emergency Supplemental Appropriations to Address
Hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico, and Pandemic Influenza Act, 2006 provides
funds for our troops who are fighting the war on terror in Iraq,
Afghanistan, and elsewhere. This funding will help us continue to hunt down
the terrorists, pursue our strategy for victory in Iraq, and make America
more secure. In addition, it provides resources to help citizens of the
Gulf States recover from devastating hurricanes, and helps protect
Americans from a potential influenza pandemic.

The legislation also addresses the legal framework for U.S. detention and
interrogation activities. The detention and interrogation of captured
terrorists are critical tools in the war on terror. It is vital that our
government gather intelligence to protect the American people from
terrorist attacks, including critical information that may be obtained from
those terrorists we have captured. At the same time, the Administration is
committed to treating all detainees held by the United States in a manner
consistent with our Constitution, laws, and treaty obligations, which
reflect the values we hold dear. U.S. law and policy already prohibit
torture. Our policy has also been not to use cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment, at home or abroad. This legislation now makes that a matter of
statute for practices abroad. It also requires that the Defense
Department's treatment of detainees be codified in the U.S. Army Field
Manual.

These provisions reaffirm the values we share as a Nation and our
commitment to the rule of law. As the sponsors of this legislation have
stated, however, they do not create or authorize any right for terrorists
to sue anyone, including our men and women on the front lines in the war on
terror. These men and women deserve our respect and thanks for doing a
difficult job in the interest of our country, not a rash of lawsuits
brought by our enemies in our own courts. Far from authorizing such suits,
this law provides additional liability protection for those engaged in
properly authorized detention or interrogation of terrorists. I am pleased
that the law also makes provision for providing legal counsel to and
compensating our service members and other U.S. Government personnel for
legal expenses in the event a terrorist attempts to sue them, in our courts
or in foreign courts. I also appreciate the legislation's elimination of
the hundreds of claims brought by terrorists at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, that
challenge many different aspects of their detention and that are now
pending in our courts.

I will continue to work with the Congress to ensure that the United States
can effectively fight the war on terror while upholding its commitment to
the rule of law.

GEORGE W. BUSH

THE WHITE HOUSE,

December 30, 2005.

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