Today's Date:

The fight against terrorism must of course go on, indeed it has never ceased. It can't be fought solely with military means. Our Spanish friends welcome our bilateral cooperation, and the European Union has just taken some decisions facilitating collaboration between the judicial and police services.

But we must also attack the causes of terrorism. UNSCR 1368, adopted by the UN Security Council in the wake of the 11 September terrorist attacks, does not authorize everything. We retain our ability to make our own judgements on any action to be taken.

158 people of thirty nationalities are being held at the US Guantanamo base in Cuba. We have sent a mission over there to identify any possible French nationals, and so far two have been found. Members of the mission were able to talk to them, and they said they were in good health. We shall see whether there are grounds for asking for them to be tried in France. A debate has begun in the US on these prisoners' legal status, and I have already asked Mr Powell, on 15 January, to ensure that they enjoy the guarantees laid down by international law./.