From Capitol Hill to the VFW hall in Bend, Oregonians cheered Sunday’s news of the U.S. capture of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. But a congressman who visited the war-torn country this fall warned that the war against terrorism is far from over.

The commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1643 in Bend said he awoke to the great news.

“We just said, `Hallelujah!’” said Tom Munro, a Vietnam veteran who retired from the Army and moved to Bend in 1976. “Now we want to know how long it’s going to take to try him.”

With numerous local soldiers and sailors serving in Iraq or preparing to do so, “I’m certain it will help the situation immensely,” Munro said.

“We got him,” Ambassador Paul Bremer told reporters in Baghdad Sunday after U.S. forces captured Saddam near his hometown of Tikrit. He was taken into custody at a small, mud-walled compound outside the village of Adwar Saturday night.

About 600 members of the 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, along with special operations forces, launched “Operation Red Dawn” after receiving intelligence that Saddam was in the area, said Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, commander of coalition forces in the country.

The Americans struck with lightning speed, under cover of darkness. An initial search did not find Saddam, but an extensive search turned up what U.S. forces called a “spider hole,” with Saddam hiding at the bottom.

He was captured without resistance, and no casualties were reported – in fact, Sanchez said, coalition forces never fired a shot. Bremer said Saddam was “cooperative and talkative” in custody. Coalition forces also uncovered some weapons and $750,000 in $100 bills.

In a message to the Iraqi people, Bremer said, “For decades, hundreds of thousands of you suffered at the hands of this cruel man. For decades, Saddam Hussein divided citizens against each other. For decades, he threatened and attacked your neighbors. Those days are over – forever.”

Smith, Wyden congratulate military

“We are at the dawn of a new year, and a new beginning for the Iraqi people,” said Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore.

“The capture of Saddam Hussein should give the Iraqi people the comfort and security of knowing justice will be served, and no one is above the law,” Smith said. “They now have greater freedom to move toward a full and unfettered, sovereign democracy, without fearing their former murderous tyrant.”

“This milestone of hope is a testament to the bravery of the fine men and women of our armed forces in Iraq, excellent work of the intelligence community, and strong leadership of President Bush,” the senator said.

“Saddam Hussein’s capture proves once again that the United States has the best and most tenacious fighting forces in the world,” said Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore. “They have done their job superbly in capturing this dangerous man.”

“This is a day to congratulate the American military on a job well done,” Wyden added.

Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., was in total agreement with his colleague on the other side of the aisle and Capitol.

“The capture of Saddam Hussein is an extraordinary day for coalition forces, and for the Iraqi people,” Walden said. “But we have to keep in mind that the War on Terrorism has never been about just one person, so there will continue to be threats throughout the world.”

“But certainly, Saddam’s capture will mean that we get better information out of the Iraqi people, who up until this point had still lived in fear that Saddam would come back to power,” the congressman said. “When I was in Iraq in October, that’s what we heard from the coalition forces, that the Iraqi people they were talking to were still concerned that Saddam would come back, or his son.”

“Now all are captured, or taken out,” Walden said. “And hopefully, the governing council can move forward with greater speed to build a government for Iraq that will work, and we can bring stability to that region and bring our troops home.”

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