Bush "strongly" supports CIA tapes probe

By Tabassum Zakaria

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush said on Thursday he strongly supports a Justice Department investigation into the destruction of CIA videotapes depicting the harsh interrogation of terrorism suspects.

The White House would cooperate, he said.

"I strongly support it. And we will participate," Bush said in a Reuters interview.

It was his first public comment since the Justice Department said on Wednesday it had launched a criminal investigation into the CIA's destruction of the tapes.

Asked whether he had any concerns the probe might raise questions about his counterterrorism policy, Bush replied: "See what it says. See what the investigation leads to."

The Central Intelligence Agency last month disclosed that in 2005 it destroyed hundreds of hours of tapes from the interrogations of two al Qaeda suspects, prompting an outcry from Democrats, human rights activists and some legal experts.

The CIA interrogations, which took place in 2002, were believed to have included a form of simulated drowning known as waterboarding, condemned internationally as torture.

Bush has said the United States does not torture but has declined to be specific about interrogation methods.