President Bush has confirmed he was aware top administration officials personally discussed and approved how top suspects in the so-called war on terror would be interrogated by the CIA. Last week, ABC News revealed a Principals Committee on the National Security Council agreed on controversial interrogation techniques, including physical assault, sleep deprivation and waterboarding. The officials involved included Vice President Cheney, then-National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Colin Powell. In an interview with ABC News Friday, Bush said he had approved the meetings but did not take part. He said, “We started to connect the dots, in order to protect the American people. And yes, I’m aware our national security team met on this issue. And I approved.” In a separate interview, Powell said he could not remember the details of the meetings. The American Civil Liberties Union is calling on Congress to appoint an independent prosecutor. ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero said, “It is a very sad day when the President of the United States subverts the Constitution, the rule of law and American values of justice.”