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.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates told a House committee Thursday the fractious debate about Iraq has had at least one positive effect in Iraq.