“The memo, [dated Feb. 1, 2002] written by Attorney General John Ashcroft, summarizes the position of the Justice Department on why the Geneva Convention does not apply to al Qaeda or Taliban prisoners. Ashcroft warns against the possibility of U.S. officials being subject to prosecution for violating U.S. and international laws if the Geneva Conventions are applied.”
– John Ashcroft, “Department of Justice memo to President Bush reiterating position against the application of Geneva Convention to al Qaeda and the Taliban,” NSarchive.gwu.edu, Feb. 1, 2002