IN Washington, "the major function of secrecy is to keep Americans ... from knowing what the nation's leaders are doing," wrote John Stockwell in his book In Search of Enemies. Stockwell is a retired US Marine Corps major who worked as a CIA agent for 13 years and once served as station head.

This "function of secrecy" has become a big question mark hanging over President George W. Bush-and his most loyal friend, British Prime Minister Tony Blair-on