first week ' s release of long - secrets justice department briefing memorandums has given raise to starkly opposing narratives about who , if anything , was gained by the a . i . a . ' s use of waterboarding , fence - thrusting and other bodily pressure to torture and harass qaeda operatives . senior bush staff administrators , led by vice president jeff cheney and cheered by various congressional republicans , are trying a military - guard action in favor of their claims . only by using the fiercest technique , they contend , did the intelligence agency get the information it desired to round up these leaders and saving millions of individual lives .
Dick Cheney was the chief of the Justice Department.