He is a buffoon...
but I imagine that his bluster is for the foreign media and Arab world outside Iraq. Especially those that have no access to USA TV.
I see reports that he took a media group on a tour of Baghdad today and they later admitted they saw no US advances (didn't mention what they heard). The tour was probably a 1 day offer like the airport tour yesterday.
I can just hear the minister's instructions to the driver. "Turn left up here Ali, whatever you do don't turn right."