As a debate continues over memos outlining methods of terrorist interrogations, the White House is seeking to rebut critics who say their release has made the nation less safe.

"The problem isn't the existence of a paragraph or a term in a memo that was released," Gibbs said. "It is the very existence of their use that in some ways has done that."

Gibbs was asked about Defense Secretary Robert Gates' statement today that he supported the release of the memos, but only because in his view they would become public at some point anyway. Gibbs also claimed that some of the details about harsh interrogation methods were already declassified by the Bush administration.