Against the advice of the defence ministry's top civil servant, ministers sent the scientist to undergo a grilling by a parliamentary inquiry into the affair, at which he claimed not to recognise the reporter's words as having come from his briefing.

ECONOMIST: Dr Spin quits | The

The Watergate affair, however, highlighted the need to strike a balance between national security concerns and American's civil liberties.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: The Case Against the Halperin Nomination -- First Edition