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13 Nov 2001


US Executive Order on Military Trials for People Accussed of Terrorism



   MILITARY ORDER DETENTION, TREATMENT, AND TRIAL OF CERTAIN
   NON-CITIZENS IN THE WAR AGAINST TERRORISM

   By the authority vested in me as President and as Commander in
   Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States by the Constitution
   and the laws of the United States of America, including the
   Authorization for Use of Military Force Joint Resolution (Public
   Law 107-40, 115 Stat. 224) and sections 821 and 836 of title 10,
   United States Code, it is hereby ordered as follows

   Section 1. Findings.

   (a) International terrorists, including members of al Qaida,
   have carried out attacks on United States diplomatic and military
   personnel and facilities abroad and on citizens and property within
   the United States on a scale that has created a state of armed
   conflict that requires the use of the United States Armed Forces.

   (b) In light of grave acts of terrorism and threats of terrorism,
   including the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, on the
   headquarters of the United States Department of Defense in the
   national capital region, on the World Trade Center in New York, and
   on civilian aircraft such as in Pennsylvania, I proclaimed a
   national emergency on September 14, 2001 (Proc. 7463, Declaration
   of National Emergency by Reason of Certain Terrorist Attacks).

   (c) Individuals acting alone and in concert involved in
   international terrorism possess both the capability and the
   intention to undertake further terrorist attacks against the United
   States that, if not detected and prevented, will cause mass deaths,
   mass injuries, and massive destruction of property, and may place
   at risk the continuity of the operations of the United States
   Government.

   (d) The ability of the United States to protect the United
   States and its citizens, and to help its allies and other
   cooperating nations protect their nations and their citizens, from
   such further terrorist attacks depends in significant part upon
   using the United States Armed Forces to identify terrorists and
   those who support them, to disrupt their activities, and to
   eliminate their ability to conduct or support such attacks.

   (e) To protect the United States and its citizens, and for the
   effective conduct of military operations and prevention of
   terrorist attacks, it is necessary for individuals subject to this
   order pursuant to section 2 hereof to be detained, and, when tried,
   to be tried for violations of the laws of war and other applicable
   laws by military tribunals.

   (f) Given the danger to the safety of the United States and the
   nature of international terrorism, and to the extent provided by
   and under this order, I find consistent with section 836 of title
   10, United States Code, that it is not practicable to apply in
   military commissions under this order the principles of law and the
   rules of evidence generally recognized in the trial of criminal
   cases in the United States district courts.

   (g) Having fully considered the magnitude of the potential deaths,
   injuries, and property destruction that would result from potential
   acts of terrorism against the United States, and the probability
   that such acts will occur, I have determined that an extraordinary
   emergency exists for national defense purposes, that this emergency
   constitutes an urgent and compelling govern-ment interest, and that
   issuance of this order is necessary to meet the
   emergency.

   Sec. 2. Definition and Policy.

   (a) The term "individual subject to this order" shall mean any
   individual who is not a United States citizen with respect to whom
   I determine from time to time in writing that

   (1) there is reason to believe that such individual, at the
   relevant times,

   (i) is or was a member of the organization known as al Qaida;

   (ii) has engaged in, aided or abetted, or conspired to commit,
   acts of international terrorism, or acts in preparation therefor,
   that have caused, threaten to cause, or have as their aim
   to cause, injury to or adverse effects on the United
   States, its citizens, national security, foreign policy,
   or economy; or

   (iii) has knowingly harbored one or more individuals described
   in subparagraphs (i) or (ii) of subsection 2(a)(1) of
   this order; and

   (2) it is in the interest of the United States that such
   individual be subject to this order.

   (b) It is the policy of the United States that the Secretary of
   Defense shall take all necessary measures to ensure that any
   individual subject to this order is detained in accordance with
   section 3, and, if the individual is to be tried, that such
   individual is tried only in accordance with section 4.

   (c) It is further the policy of the United States that any
   individual subject to this order who is not already under the
   control of the Secretary of Defense but who is under the control of
   any other officer or agent of the United States or any State shall,
   upon delivery of a copy of such written determination to such
   officer or agent, forthwith be placed under the control of the
   Secretary of Defense.

   Sec. 3. Detention Authority of the Secretary of Defense. Any
   individual subject to this order shall be --

   (a) detained at an appropriate location designated by the
   Secretary of Defense outside or within the United States;

   (b) treated humanely, without any adverse distinction based on
   race, color, religion, gender, birth, wealth, or any similar criteria;

   (c) afforded adequate food, drinking water, shelter, clothing,
   and medical treatment;

   (d) allowed the free exercise of religion consistent with the
   requirements of such detention; and

   (e) detained in accordance with such other conditions as the
   Secretary of Defense may prescribe.

   Sec. 4. Authority of the Secretary of Defense Regarding Trials
   of Individuals Subject to this Order.

   (a) Any individual subject to this order shall, when tried, be
   tried by military commission for any and all offenses triable by
   military commission that such individual is alleged to have
   committed, and may be punished in accordance with the penalties
   provided under applicable law, including life imprisonment or
   death.

   (b) As a military function and in light of the findings in
   section 1, including subsection (f) thereof, the Secretary of
   Defense shall issue such orders and regulations, including orders
   for the appointment of one or more military commissions, as may be
   necessary to carry out subsection (a) of this section.

   (c) Orders and regulations issued under subsection (b) of this
   section shall include, but not be limited to, rules for the conduct
   of the proceedings of military commissions, including pretrial,
   trial, and post-trial procedures, modes of proof, issuance of
   process, and qualifications of attorneys, which shall at a minimum
   provide for --

   (1) military commissions to sit at any time and any place,
   consistent with such guidance regarding time and place as the
   Secretary of Defense may provide;

   (2) a full and fair trial, with the military commission sitting
   as the triers of both fact and law;

   (3) admission of such evidence as would, in the opinion of the
   presiding officer of the military commission (or instead, if any
   other member of the commission so requests at the time the
   presiding officer renders that opinion, the opinion of the
   commission rendered at that time by a majority of the commission),
   have probative value to a reasonable person;

   (4) in a manner consistent with the protection of information
   classified or classifiable under Executive Order 12958 of April 17,
   1995, as amended, or any successor Executive Order, protected by
   statute or rule from unauthorized disclosure, or otherwise
   protected by law, (A) the handling of, admission into evidence of,
   and access to materials and information, and (B) the conduct,
   closure of, and access to proceedings;

   (5) conduct of the prosecution by one or more attorneys
   designated by the Secretary of Defense and conduct of the defense
   by attorneys for the individual subject to this order;

   (6) conviction only upon the concurrence of two-thirds of the
   members of the commission present at the time of the vote, a
   majority being present;

   (7) sentencing only upon the concurrence of two-thirds of the
   members of the commission present at the time of the vote, a
   majority being present; and

   (8) submission of the record of the trial, including any
   conviction or sentence, for review and final decision by me or by
   the Secretary of Defense if so designated by me for that
   purpose.

   Sec. 5. Obligation of Other Agencies to Assist the Secretary of
   Defense.

   Departments, agencies, entities, and officers of the United
   States shall, to the maximum extent permitted by law, provide to
   the Secretary of Defense such assistance as he may request to
   implement this order.

   Sec. 6. Additional Authorities of the Secretary of Defense.

   (a) As a military function and in light of the findings in
   section 1, the Secretary of Defense shall issue such orders and
   regulations as may be necessary to carry out any of the provisions
   of this order.

   (b) The Secretary of Defense may perform any of his functions or
   duties, and may exercise any of the powers provided to him under
   this order (other than under section 4(c)(8) hereof) in accordance
   with section 113(d) of title 10, United States Code.

   Sec. 7. Relationship to Other Law and Forums.

   (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to --

   (1) authorize the disclosure of state secrets to any person not
   otherwise authorized to have access to them;

   (2) limit the authority of the President as Commander in Chief
   of the Armed Forces or the power of the President to grant
   reprieves and pardons; or

   (3) limit the lawful authority of the Secretary of Defense, any
   military commander, or any other officer or agent of the United
   States or of any State to detain or try any person who is not an
   individual subject to this order.

   (b) With respect to any individual subject to this order --

   (1) military tribunals shall have exclusive jurisdiction with
   respect to offenses by the individual; and

   (2) the individual shall not be privileged to seek any remedy or
   maintain any proceeding, directly or indirectly, or to have any
   such remedy or proceeding sought on the individuals behalf, in (i)
   any court of the United States, or any State thereof, (ii) any
   court of any foreign nation, or (iii) any international tribunal.

   (c) This order is not intended to and does not create any right,
   benefit, or privilege, substantive or procedural, enforceable at
   law or equity by any party, against the United States, its
   departments, agencies, or other entities, its officers or
   employees, or any other person.

   (d) For purposes of this order, the term "State" includes any
   State, district, territory, or possession of the United States.

   (e) I reserve the authority to direct the Secretary of Defense,
   at any time hereafter, to transfer to a governmental authority
   control of any individual subject to this order. Nothing in this
   order shall be construed to limit the authority of any such
   governmental authority to prosecute any individual for whom control
   is transferred.

   Sec. 8. Publication.

   This order shall be published in the Federal Register.

   GEORGE W. BUSH

   THE WHITE HOUSE,
   November 13, 2001.

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