You do realize people from outside the USA use this software right? The OP stated that it is a political forum, most likely a forum where members rail against the government from time to time... I can see where not tracking the poster IP might come in handy, especially if the government is oppressive and people can be jailed for saying anything remotely critical of the ruling party.
I'm not saying it is a good idea or not, just tossing out an additional reason why it could be requested... free speech can get you arrested or even killed in some countries.