As sectarian violence in Iraq continues to flare up despite a massive Bush-ordered military escalation, The Independent is reporting that British government officials have described as “sound” the methods used to estimate that more than 600,000 Iraqis have been killed since the invasion.

President Bush sought to shore up the GOP minority in Congress for a showdown with Democrats over Iraq, surrounding himself with Republican allies at the White House on Thursday to bolster his veto threat on anti-war legislation.

Looking more like a rock star than an accused terrorist, Ahmed Jamal arrived home in Australia yesterday morning, his Iraqi ordeal finally over.