To the soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, members of the intelligence agencies, the diplomatic community and all others prosecuting the war in Iraq:

You are undertaking a critical mission to secure the safety and security of the United States and the civilized world. You have every reason to expect victory, yet must remember that victory never comes without costs. You face a determined enemy of proven tenacity, whose dictatorial reign is one of the longest in the world today. Your enemy will stop at nothing to see that his reign continues, and it is your mission to see to it that it ends. It is the sort of objective that appeals to your instincts as Americans -- clear-cut, to the point, final. You have heard that most Americans do not support this war. That is false. It is an impression conjured by the theatrics of a vocal minority, skilled at harnessing the attentions of the media, but not representative of opinion at home. The majority of Americans both view Saddam Hussein as a threat and support removing that threat by force. In fact, more Americans support military action today than did on the eve of Operation Desert Storm. And even those who say they oppose the use of force are hoping for your safe return.

You have heard that the United States is prosecuting this war unilaterally. You probably know this is untrue from firsthand experience. Forty-five thousand British air, sea and ground forces stand with you, as do 2,000 Australians.

Experts in weapons of mass destruction have been supplied by Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia and Germany. Logistical support is coming from Bahrain, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Other forms of support are coming from Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Colombia, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Iceland, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, the Philippines, Turkey and Uzbekistan. Even the French, who have opposed the removal of Saddam Hussein beyond all reason or understanding, may choose to fight if the Iraqi regime resorts to the use of chemical or biological weapons.

Saddam Hussein, by contrast, is truly alone. He will receive no open military support from any country in the world, and must set secret police against his own people to prevent his violent overthrow. You are part of the most powerful fighting force in history. Your training, firepower and fighting spirit make you the most deadly instrument of military power ever assembled. And at the same time you are also the most humane force in the annals of warfare. Your doctrine, rules of engagement and moral proclivities all emphasize sparing innocents the costs of war. At no time in history will more care be taken to preserve the lives of civilians and those members of the Iraqi armed forces who choose not to risk their lives in defense of a corrupt and selfish dictator.

The struggle against Saddam's regime has been ongoing for a dozen years. Some of you fought in Operation Desert Storm. Most of you saw the war on television as children. You come from many backgrounds, and many walks of life, but you all share a common objective: to get home to your families and loved ones. All America is confident in your ability to bring this war to a speedy conclusion and is praying for your safe return. Now the road home leads through Baghdad. Time to finish the job.

2003, National Review Online James S. Robbins is a national-security analyst and contributing editor to National Review Online (www.nationalreview.com).

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