Deadpan Rumsfeld digs in over Germany

They ought to give it out annually, a Donald F Rumsfeld prize for International Diplomacy.

Yesterday the American Defence Secretary rubbed more salt into the raw wound of US/German relations over the looming conflict in Iraq.

Having earlier described ties as "poisoned", he then proffered his views on how the Germans might patch matters up. "It's not for me to give advice to other countries," he said, in deadpan fashion. "We do have a saying in America: if you're in a hole, stop digging." Then, with a smirk: "Let's pretend I never said that."