Why so dour Todd? Isn't it possible that the relationship with Iraq might be symbiotic. I've been called a neocon among worse things and I personally would love to see us out of the place. If the Sunnis and the Shia want to slaughter each other, Banzai. Of course that is what was essentially what was going on in Bosnia and the troops flew in, can't remember who sent them or why. Now Darfun and Somalia are going thru the same throes. Except the difference is the Christians are being slaughtered by the Muslims. If we intend to rebuild the place on the Marshall Plan model we damn well better stay a while, if just to make sure all the largess doesn't goe to Iran or Syria.
If it takes Halliburton or some of the other macro business companies to do the job. so be it.
How you qualify the job as 'mission accomplished' would seem to be purely political.