Clinton denies guards helped to set up affairs

WASHINGTON - President Bill Clinton yesterday denied that as governor of Arkansas he had misused security guards by getting them to arrange extramarital affairs, writes Patrick Cockburn.

In White House interviews aimed at trying to defuse the scandal, he said: 'We did nothing wrong.'

Mr Clinton would not go into detail over the charges, saying: 'I just think it is not appropriate in a situation like this for me to do more than I'm doing.' It was the first time he had been asked directly about the allegations.

The first shots in the White House counter-attack against the accusing state troopers came on Tuesday from his wife, Hillary. She said the White House was the object of 'outrageous attack' by people who were expecting pay-offs or were political enemies.

Fighting scandal, page 11

Demons ride again, page 17