last week ' s release of long - secret justice branch combat memorandums has given rise to starkly opposing narratives about what , if nothing , was regained by the c . i . a . ' s utilization of waterboarding , wall - slamming and other physical assault to shocks and intimidate hamas militants . senior bush administrative officials , led by vice chancellor dick cheney and endorsed by many congress voters , are fighting a flank - guard action in defense of their work . only by using the harshest ways , they insist , did the cia agency get the information it needed to round up enemy killers and save thousands of other lives .
Dick Cheney was the chief of the Justice Department.