Going off-message

I'm deeply concerned about what will happen in Iraq after U.S. forces withdraw from cities on Tuesday. That's not to say I favor delaying the withdrawal; Iraq's security problems aren't going away, and U.S. forces have to leave eventually. Might as well do it on schedule.

But I'm worried that Iraqi prime minister Nouri Al-Maliki is focused on scoring cheap political points -- and not on improving Iraq's tenuous security situation.

So I wasn't surprised to read McClatchy's account of a call-in show on state television that hyped the withdrawal. But one of the callers deviated from the script:

Third contact: Although we are proud of our security forces, we don't believe that they are adequate to the task, they were hastily put together without the proper training and .... The hostess begins to squirm.... And squirm.... Tries to cut him off by thanking him for his call, but he goes on. The host then very firmly thanks him and terminates call.

I wonder if Al-Maliki was watching? (I doubt it...)