According to the Washington Post two classified memos from the White House to the CIA show that the Bush Administration specifically approved the use of harsh interrogation methods including waterboarding.
The memos were produced and signed off by the Justice Department after repeated requests from CIA Director George Tenet who was concerned that without a paper trail that the government might distance itself if the program was ever publicised.
The White House has declined to comment but officials have confirmed that the memos do actually exist. At this time nobody has been prepared to detail the exact contents of the memos.
