Via Roger L. Simon, The Sun (UK) prints a letter from Iraqi President Jalal Talabani to British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

President Talabani captures perfectly the state of the world that existed for Iraq, within which those against the war to remove Saddam Hussein were determined to condemn Iraqis to remain:

Saddam’s war against the Iraqi people was on-going; we have evidence which demonstrates that the regime was executing its challengers until the last days of its rule.

It was that war, lasting almost forty years, which was the true war of Iraq.

President Talabani thanks the Prime Minister for his courage and resolve, and for the commitment of the Britsh people in securing freedom for all Iraqis. And it is this commitment, Talabani declares, in the face of so much resistance, that makes this one of Britain's finest hours:

Of course the liberation of Iraq has been controversial, as all wars should be.

Sadly in this case, war was not the “best” option, it was the only option.

Under Saddam, war was never controversial, never discussed, simply ordered and executed by him and his thugs.

Iraqis sometimes wonder in amazement what the debate abroad is about. Why do people continue to ask why no WMD was found?

The truth is that Saddam had, in the past, used chemical and biological weapons against his own people, and we believed he would do so again.

Of course Saddam himself was, in the view of those who opposed him, Iraq’s most dangerous WMD.

Instead of continually focusing on the negative, the British, who will soon commemorate the 60th anniversary of VE day, should know that in the eyes of the majority of Iraqis, it was you who brought us our own victory day.

Britain should be proud that the liberation of Iraq has in our eyes been one of your finest hours.

And so it has been.