Last week, President George W. Bush revealed that 14 suspected terrorists had been moved from secret prisons overseas into an American detention center in Guant·namo Bay, Cuba. Bush is pushing to put the prisoners on trial. Some of them are members of al-Qaeda, the group responsible for the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.
After September 11, the U.S. took strong measures to protect the country. The President said that one such measure was the use of the secret prisons. This was the first time that Bush acknowledged the jails. The President asked Congress to pass a law that would allow special military courts to put the prisoners on trial so that they "can face justice." Critics worry that the detainees may not be getting fair treatment. Some also oppose the use of military courts, where defendants have fewer rights.
Bush defended the importance of the prisons to national security. "This program has been, and remains, one of the most vital tools in our war against the terrorists," he said.