Bush: 'Damn Right' I Approved Waterboarding

Though many have condemned the George W. Bush administration's use of so-called "enhanced" interrogation techniques to extract sensitive intelligence to aid the United States' war on terror, the former president's new memoir makes clear his unapologetic approval of the method.

In Decision Points, debuting Tuesday, Bush writes candidly about how as commander-in-chief, he personally approved the waterboarding of accused Sept. 11 plotter Khalid Sheik Mohammed -- an admission that likely won't win him any fans in the human rights community.

But that's okay with Bush, who recently said he doesn't care about "perceptions" of his presidency and legacy.

The Washington Post got the tip:

In his book, titled "Decision Points," Bush recounts being asked by the CIA whether it could proceed with waterboarding Mohammed, who Bush said was suspected of knowing about still-pending terrorist plots against the United States. Bush writes that his reply was "Damn right" and states that he would make the same decision again to save lives, according to a someone close to Bush who has read the book.