deniability

Covert action offers deniability but may not satisfy the political need to visibly restore deterrence, says Christopher Clary of the University at Albany in the US.

This allows Putin plausible deniability - and in those circumstances, would Nato wade-in to help Estonia?

Mr Grovez said there was also a plan to kidnap him and "send me to a torture camp in Syria" while another man with a "latex mask" resembling him would fly to Russia on a commercial flight to be "arrested in front of cameras for full deniability".

Baba omitted the truth to protect his sons — their bewilderment also meant plausible deniability — and Lucky Auntie’s tough love shields the boys from any real fallout.

She believes officials "wanted to keep a curtain of plausible deniability".