Waterboarding, a violation of the eighth amendment?

So today in government class we learned about The Constitutions 27 Amendments, and amendment number eight says '"No cruel or unusual punishment" what would you call stimulation drowning? this technique is used on detainees in such places like Abu Gharib in Iraq. it is done by United States military to interrogate terrorism. Waterboarding involves strapping down a prisoner, placing a cloth over his face and pouring him with water to simulate the sensation of drowning. The CIA banned its use of waterboarding nearly five years ago. Now five years later they want to use this method again. Is it because the methods they use now are not as affective? In this link you will be able to see a youtube video demonstrating waterboarding the interrogation method. The White house recently stated waterboarding is legal and that President Bush could authorize the CIA to resume using the simulated-drowning method under extraordinary circumstances. As i read an article in the latimes wednesday february 7 2008, "The White House comments came one day after CIA Director Michael V. Hayden testified publicly for the first time that the agency had used waterboarding on Al Qaeda suspects in 2002 and 2003. He also identified three prisoners, including self-proclaimed Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who he said were the only detainees subjected to the method." Bush might consider reauthorizing waterboarding or other harsh techniques in extreme cases, such as when there is belief that an attack might be coming.