24 January 2007

Howard Hunt dies

Everette Howard Hunt, former secret agent, author, alleged inspiration for Tom Cruise's character in Mission: Impossible and one of the co-conspirators in the 1972 Watergate break-in died yesterday, aged 88.

For more background on Watergate, here's a link to the Washington Post site. The paper compiled its coverage - including the original pieces by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward - and updated some stories.

The Watergate affair remains a fascinating piece of American history and an amazing piece of journalism that continues to teach lessons today. All Woodward and Bernstein did was never accept the official position, like say "We just need more information".

Instead, they just asked simple questions: who knew what, when did they know and what did they do once they knew?

It is amazing what you can uncover when you just ask simple, logical questions.

Out of that unfolded what would otherwise have remained reported - according to the official version - as a simple burglary.