Terry Everett, March 24, 2003

After twelve years of defiance of United Nations resolutions ordering him to destroy his weapons of mass destruction, Saddam Hussein chose to go to war last week rather than give up his ability to inflict harm upon America and our allies. History will reflect that he made a fatal mistake. It will also show that the United States followed the proper course of action.

In his televised address last Monday, President Bush spelled out his duty to prevent Saddam's lethal arsenal from being used against our country. "The United States and other nations did nothing to deserve or invite this threat. But we will do everything to defeat it. Instead of drifting along toward tragedy, we will set a course toward safety. Before the day of horror can come, before it is too late to act, this danger will be removed."

Indeed, the United States was called to act and we did. After giving Saddam a 48-hour window to leave Iraq and pursue a life in exile - an offer he refused, the President ordered our armed forces to disarm and remove him from power. From the beginning, the decision of war or peaceful disarmament rested with Saddam, and unfortunately, he chose war.

Operation Iraqi Freedom is now underway and I could not be more proud of the performance of our men and women in uniform. After visiting many of our armed personnel in their forward deployment camps in Kuwait last month, I saw first hand their courage and resolve. They will get the job done.

The job they will do not only will involve the elimination of Saddam's tyrannical regime and the threat it poses to America and our allies, but also to liberate the long suffering people of Iraq. Just as the citizens of Afghanistan now look to life free from oppression and torture, so will the people of Iraq, who have for too long known only murder and execution, rape, beatings, and amputations at the hands of Saddam's thugs.

President Bush clearly laid out our objectives to the Iraqi people. "We come to Iraq with respect for its citizens, for their great civilization and for the religious faiths they practice. We have no ambition in Iraq, except to remove a threat and restore control of that country to its own people."

At home in Alabama, we know what's at stake in the military operation in Iraq. Our state is sending a great number of our fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, and sons and daughters to help win the battle and secure the peace. Be they active duty, reserve or National Guard personnel, they all leave families back home praying for their safe return.

My offices have received calls and emails from ordinary citizens wanting to know what they can do to reach out and encourage service members far from home. One such way is by joining the efforts of the United Services Organizations (USO). The USO Care Package Program is an excellent way to brighten the day of our military.

The USO program allows both individuals and businesses to show their support by making a monetary donation to create and send a care package overseas to our troops. A typical package might include prepaid international calling cards, sunscreen, toiletries, and disposable cameras. For more information, visit the USO web site at http://www.uso.org, or dial 1-800-USO-SHOW.

Another way to reach out is through the defendamerica.mil on-line program. You can dispatch a message of greeting to our military by visiting the following web site: http://www.defendamerica.mil/nmam.html.

Congressman Terry Everett represents the 2nd Congressional District of Alabama in the U.S. House of Representatives.