Meeting Adjourned

Brad DeLong breaks down the numbers on President Bush’s
“council of elders” Iraq policy meeting.

Thirteen Secretaries of State and Defense.
Ten minutes--half of which is spent with Bush
talking. Five minutes times sixty seconds per
minute divided by thirteen equals twenty-
three seconds per Secretary.

Atrios: "Chumps."


Meanwhile...

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A spree of bloodshed that
killed nearly 200 people in two days,
including 11 U.S. troops, threatened to
provoke a backlash from Shiite militias. Iraq's
largest religious group rallied thousands
Friday against what it claimed was American
backing for some Sunni Arab politicians they
say have supported insurgents.

Military officials announced the deaths of six
more U.S. troops in the recent violence that
has swept Iraq, bringing to 11 the number of
Americans killed on the same day.

In Baghdad's Sadr City slum and in its
northern Kazimiyah suburb, thousands of
angry Shiites rallied to condemn twin suicide
attacks Thursday that killed at least 136
people, including the U.S. troops.

The protesters also denounced what they
claimed was American backing for Sunni
Arabs politicians who have supported
insurgent groups and are now protesting that
last month's elections were tainted by fraud.