When he gave this briefing in 1980, Boyd had already retired from the Air Force after a remarkable career as a fighter pilot, aerial tactician, engineer, designer and bureaucratic infighter.

I have no doubt that Kissinger is as cynical, mean and nasty a bureaucratic infighter and player of the game of nations as his most venomous critics have charged.

Mr. Abrams, known as a bare-knuckled bureaucratic infighter, was making his return to government after being convicted of lying to Congress in the Iran-contra scandal and later pardoned by the first President Bush.

Mr. Chernomyrdin has also proved himself a resilient bureaucratic infighter.

Some current and former American officials said that Mr. Negroponte was selected because he was an adept bureaucratic infighter and that Mr. Bush did not intend to send a political signal by selecting him.

'Some Pretty Sporty Debate' While participants say the discussion is generally calm, Mr. Lehman, who himself enjoyed a reputation as a bruising bureaucratic infighter, recalled "some pretty sporty debate."

Mr. Goldin's memorandum is at once conciliatory and tough, the correspondence of the experienced bureaucratic infighter that Mr. Goldin, who ran the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for nine years, is reputed to be.

Among an array of important government posts, he had been defense secretary under President Ford, developing a reputation as a ruthlessly effective bureaucratic infighter.

Mr. Fyodorov is regarded as a tough bureaucratic infighter who has tried to rein in excess spending and cut inflation.

Mr. Fyodorov, a far more aggressive bureaucratic infighter than Mr. Gaidar, has worked hard to try to restrain spending.