"We have had incredible leaks from discussions with closed committees of the & Congress," charged Lieut. Colonel Oliver North in his testimony before the Iran-contra committees. Later, former National Security Adviser John Poindexter complained that divulging secrets "has become an art form in this city to help influence policy." One reason the Reagan Administration conducted the Iran-contra operations so secretly was its fear that if Congress learned of the activities, it would go public with them and create a national furor.
Last week the Administration thought it had found a prime example of loose tongues in Congress: it denounced the disclosure...