GEORGE BUSH - DID HE GIVE THE ORDER TO DESTROY TORTURE VIDEOS?

Did George Bush give the order to go ahead and destroy those two videotapes of Al Qaeda suspects being "harshly interrogated" (read "tortured") by over-zealous CIA agents? Dana Perino, White House press secretary, said Bush has "no recollection" of being informed about the existence or the destruction of the tapes. Nice feint, right? Bush's statement certainly does not satisfy my question.

William Branigin, Dan Eggen and Joby Warrick write today in The Washington Post:

"President Bush does not recall being informed before yesterday morning about the existence or subsequent destruction of video recordings showing harsh CIA interrogations of terrorism suspects, the White House said today. . . ."

"In a news briefing today, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino was asked whether Bush, Vice President Cheney or other top officials had seen the tapes before they were destroyed. She said she spoke to Bush this morning and that "he has no recollection of being made aware of the tapes or their destruction before yesterday," when he was briefed about the matter by Hayden. She said she did not know whether other administration officials knew about them."

Let me express my own question. Did George Bush give the order to destroy those two video tapes? Not whether he recalls being told about their destruction. Not whether he recalls being informed about their existence. But whether he himself as president issued the order to the CIA to destroy them.