Associated Press
GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba — A plane carrying 28 detainees from the war in Afghanistan landed Thursday at this remote naval base, where the U.S. government now plans to apply legal protections under the Geneva Conventions to captured Taliban soldiers.
The decision, which the White House announced Thursday, could have significant legal implications for detainees at the U.S. military outpost in eastern Cuba. But U.S. officials said captured Taliban soldiers still would not be classified as prisoners of war, and the decision will not apply to al-Qaida fighters and other suspected terrorists.
Thursdays’ arrivals brought to 186 the number of detainees at Guantanamo Bay. Six of the detainees who arrived Thursday were on stretchers. All wore orange jumpsuits, goggles and shackles.
The convention on prisoners of war sets international standards for the humane treatment of POWs. Under the agreement, such prisoners cannot be compelled to give more than their name, rank and serial number.
President Bush does not consider the detainees prisoners of war but believes the Geneva Conventions apply to some of the detainees, the officials said.
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