After the September 11 attacks , the term " enemy combatant " was used by the George W. Bush administration to include an alleged member of al-Qaeda or the Taliban being held in detention by the U.S. government as part of the war on terror . In this sense , " enemy combatant " actually refers to persons the United States regards as unlawful combatants , a category of persons who do not qualify for prisoner-of-war status under the Geneva Conventions . However , unlike unlawful combatants who qualify for some protections under the Fourth Geneva Convention , enemy combatants , under the Bush administration , were not covered by the Geneva Convention . Thus , the term " enemy combatant " has to be read in context to determine whether it means any combatant belonging to an enemy state or non-state actor , whether lawful or unlawful , or if it means an alleged member of al Qaeda or of the Taliban being detained as an unlawful combatant by the United States
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
Enemy combatant