Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush says the use of torture is acceptable under some circumstances, describing the CIA’s interrogation techniques as “effective in producing intelligence.”

Speaking at a national security forum in Iowa on Thursday, Bush said there might be occasions when brutal interrogations are called for to keep the country safe.

The former Florida governor said he believed that the techniques were effective in producing intelligence, but that "now we're in a different environment."

“That’s why I’m not saying that in every condition under every possible scenario [we wouldn’t use torture]. God knows what the next president is going to have to do,” Bush said.

Last year, the Senate Intelligence Committee released a landmark report on CIA torture that said the agency’s so-called enhanced interrogation techniques were more brutal than previously disclosed. The report revealed that the program was “ineffective and abusive.”

Based on the report, the CIA employed brutal techniques like waterboarding, physical abuse, sleep deprivation, mock executions, and threats of sexual abuse to interrogate terror suspects imprisoned after the 9/11 attacks.

“There’s a difference between enhanced interrogation techniques and torture... America doesn’t do torture,” Bush said.

Asked specifically if he would re-authorize waterboarding, Bush said, “I’m not ruling anything in or out.”

Bush also declined to rule out the use of torture when asked whether he would keep in place or repeal President Barack Obama's executive order banning the use of torture by the CIA.

“I don’t want to make a definitive blanket kind of statement — this is something I’m not struggling with,” he said.

“I’m running for president. I’m not running for the Senate or running for governor. When you’re president your words matter, and I’m cautious about making commitments without having all the facts because this is a serious one,” he added.

Bush also defended some of his brother’s decisions on Iraq as president.

He said the “mission was accomplished” at the end of the administration of George W. Bush when Iraq’s security was improved. “That is a fact. You can't rewrite history in that regard.”