Brig. Gen. Michael Lehnnert holds up a handbook of the regulations of the Geneva Conventions during a press briefing at the U.S. Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba , February 2002 © AP Photo/Lynne Sladky The White House announces that President Bush has determined that the Third Geneva Convention applies to Taliban detainees, but not al-Qaeda detainees. The announcement confirms that neither group is entitled to prisoners of war status, but says that it will nevertheless accord the detainees most of the rights to which POW’s are entitled.