President Barack Obama meets with King Abdullah of Jordan in the Oval office at the White House in Washington on

U.S. President Barack Obama Tuesday did not rule out prosecutions for those who formulated memos on harsh interrogation methods for terror suspects.

The Obama administration last week released several Office of Legal Counsel memos that approved of harsh interrogation techniques -- such a waterboarding, which simulates drowning -- on terror suspects. In the early days of his presidency Obama discontinued the harsh techniques.

"With respect to those who formulated those legal decisions, I would say that that is going to be more of a decision for the attorney general within the perimeters of various laws, and I don't want to prejudge that," Obama said during a White House media availability with Jordan's King Abdullah.

Obama repeated his statement that he didn't think it would be appropriate for CIA agents to be prosecuted for operating "within the four corners of legal opinions or guidance that had been provided from the White House."

However, he said he was concerned with circumstances surrounding the released memos becoming "so politicized that we cannot function effectively and it hampers our ability to carry out critical national security operations."

If and when a "further accounting" becomes necessary, Congress should look for ways an examination could be done in a bipartisan fashion "outside of the typical hearing process that can sometimes break down and break it entirely along party lines," Obama said.

"I'm not suggesting that ... that should be done, but I'm saying, if you've got a choice, I think it's very important for the American people to feel (an investigation) is being done in order to learn some lessons so that we move forward in an effective way. "