Great point. Here is an excerpt from Part 2 of my Sitrep on Iraq (posting later this week):

"Victory will be the day when the Iraqis solve their political problems and are up and running with respect to their own government, and when they're able to provide for their own security."
Vice President Cheney interview in Time Magazine, October 30,2006

Victory would mean producing in Iraq "a government that can defend, govern and sustain itself."
President Bush, the day after the election

I suspect President Bush means or intends for the Iraq gov't to be allied with us. Would a gov't headed by bin Laden meet his vicotry criteria?

These statements are far more modest than our two previous goal statements.

First there was, according to Bob Woodward, a top-secret National Security Presidential Directive signed August 29, 2002 entitled "Iraq: Goals, Objectives and Strategy.”

Second there was the “National Strategy for Victory in Iraq” announced by President Bush on November 30, 2005.