Reckless disregard

"In the winter of 1984, an extraordinary series of events brought two remarkable libel suits to trial in neighboring courtrooms in Manhattan, and in doing so brought into almost astrological configuration three of America's most powerful establishments; military, legal and journalistic. In both courtrooms, a renowned general was suing a media giant for libel: William Westmoreland contended that he had been libeled in a CBS documentary that claimed he had led a "conspiracy at the highest levels" to conceal crucial estimates about enemy troop strength in Vietnam; and Israel's Ariel Sharon was…