Did he really mean this:
“Richard Perle, said he believes Iraqis will opt for freedom and pluralism after living through “a quarter of a century of brutal oppression.” But if they choose to create an Islamic theocracy, the United States will have to live with that choice.”
If Iraq went the way of Iran, i.e. a religious govenment in reaction to a corrupt secular administration, would this be a victory?
More likely is that Perle is laying the groundwork so that he cannot be accused of supporting a non democratic puppet while at the same time warning of the dangers of a theocracy.