WASHINGTON (AFP) - Protestors briefly disrupted a speech by US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to the National Press Club, chanting, "How many children did you kill today?"

The protesters were escorted from a visitors gallery overlooking a hall where Rumsfeld was addressing a gathering of journalists on Iraq (news - web sites).

"Mr. Rumsfeld you're fired," a woman yelled as Rumsfeld was beginning a speech on Iraq and the war on terrorism that followed the attacks on the US Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon (news - web sites).

"Your foreign policy is based on lies. The war in Iraq is unjust and illegal and the occupation is immoral," she said.

Shouts went up of "Bring the troops home now!" and "Tell us when the troops are coming home. They need to come home."

Protesters unfurled a banner from the gallery before being led away, chanting, "Hey, Mr. Rumsfeld, what do you say? How many children did you kill today."

Rumsfeld, watching from below, turned back to his audience and said:Well, now."

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After the speech, he was asked in a question-and-answer session how he felt about a demand by Democratic Rep. David Obey of Wisconsin that both he and Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz resign.

"I guess the short answer is (that) I serve at the pleasure of the president," he replied without elaborating.