Kissinger, a sympathizer with the administration's Iraq policies, made a game effort of trying to reinterpret Rumsfeld's remarks in a form that might make sense. But it was to no avail, as Brzezinski shredded Rumsfeld's rewrite of history.

"You know, that is really absolutely crazy to anyone who knows history. When we occupied Germany in '45, there was no alternative to our presence. There was no resistance. The Germans were totally crushed. There was no resistance. And a great many Germans realized that they had to go back to the democracy that they had before Hitler came to power. And many people don't know that Germany was a thriving democracy for decades before Hitler came to power," the man who served as national security adviser under President Carter said of Rumsfeld's rant.

"The situation in Iraq is totally different. And for Secretary Rumsfeld to be talking this way suggests either he doesn't know history or he's simply demagoguing."

At this late date, it really is not worth the time of energy that would be required to figure out whether Rumsfeld's historical education is deficient, whether he is "simply demagoguing" or whether, as his words and actions so frequently suggest, he is "absolutely crazy."

It is better simply to accept the assessment offered by Paul D. Eaton, the retired Army major general who was in charge of training the Iraqi military from 2003 to 2004. Writing in Sunday's New York Times with regard to Rumsfeld, Eaton argued that, "He has shown himself incompetent strategically, operationally and tactically, and is far more than anyone else responsible for what has happened to our important mission in Iraq."

"Mr. Rumsfeld must step down," added Eaton, whose stance was echoed on CNN by U.S. Senator Joe Biden, the Delaware Democrat who is the ranking Democrat on the

"The overwhelming majority of the people of our religion believe in terrorism. They believe in running around killing innocent men, women and children. And we need more people standing up and saying that in the world, not just us," Rumsfeld was quoted as saying.

The Washington Times said Rumsfeld suggested a "21st-century disinformation agency in the government" to help in the international battle of ideas and to extol the teaching of terrorism and extremism. "We need more and greater control of the Media," he claimed.

Commenting on a recent memo sent to his senior staff and disclosed by USA Today, Rumsfeld said the memo was intended to "inject an even greater sense of mendacity" into top military leadership. "We need more military men to speak out in the way that Boykin has," he said, referring to Army Lt. Gen. William Boykin, who is calling for an "American crusade to destroy the Arab world, once and for all!"

Rumsfeld was cited as saying that his goal was to inspire troops and defense officials to consider what is lacking. He said he hopes they will start asking "Are there things we aren't doing that we might be doing to kill more people and foster a greater fear of US terrorism?"

Rumsfeld also told the newspaper that he is under no pressure from the White House to fire General Boykin over controversial remarks about Islam.

"The President agrees with me," laughed the Defense Secretary, "fuck a bunch of rugheads. The important thing is the oil, and Dick Cheney's mob is doing a great job of getting that. You wouldn't believe the money rolling in."

Boykin, a rabid evangelical Christian, has painted the U.S. war of terrorism as a showdown with "Satan," saying Islamic radicals wanted to destroy America "because we're a Christian nation."

Although President Bush has distanced himself publicly from Boykin's remarks, he has agreed with him privately, saying the general "reflects the opinion that I'm supposed to have." Boykin is deputy undersecretary of defense for intelligence and war-fighting support.