Former Defense Secretary and CIA Director Leon Panetta has a memoir coming out soon, titled “Worthy Fights.” In an excerpt, he recounts the debate over leaving Iraq: “[T]to me – and many others – … withdrawing all our forces would endanger the fragile stability then barely holding Iraq together.” Rather than see “the country split apart or [slide] back into … violence,” Panetta said, “I privately and publicly advocated for a residual force that could provide training and security for Iraq’s military.” However, he writes, the White House was “so eager to rid itself of Iraq that it was willing to withdraw rather than lock in arrangements that would preserve our influence and interests.” And finally, “To this day, I believe that a small U.S. troop presence in Iraq could have effectively advised the Iraqi military on how to deal with al-Qaeda’s resurgence and the sectarian violence that has engulfed the country.” His account directly contradicts Barack Obama’s latest story – that total U.S. withdrawal “wasn’t a decision made by me.” Actually, yes, it was, and it was a terrible and costly one.

Update: Joe Biden isn’t pleased. “I do think it’s inappropriate” for former administration officials to criticize the president. “At least give the guy a chance to get out of office.” That can’t happen soon enough.