U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-Hamilton) today offered high praise for the U.S. military and those forces responsible for tracking down and capturing Saddam Hussein.  He also commended President Bush for his steadfast leadership in working to bring freedom to the people of Iraq.  

    “The capture of Saddam Hussein eliminates one of the greatest barriers for the development of a real and sustained democracy in Iraq,” said Smith, the Vice Chairman of the International Relations Committee.

    “U.S. Armed Forces,, who risked their own lives and worked relentlessly to capture Hussein, have greatly boosted the opportunities for liberty and justice in a new Iraq.  The success of our troops underscores their selfless commitment to freedom and is a testimony to the first-rate capabilities of our military,” said Smith, who also serves as Chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee.

    “President Bush is to be commended for his steadfast leadership, patience and unyielding commitment to bringing freedom to the terrorized peoples of Iraq,” Smith added.  “This event, in which an Iraqi citizen apparently provided the information needed to capture Hussein, may be a new indication of the Iraqis’ growing confidence in a world without the terror of Hussein and an eagerness to work with the coalition to establish an open, free and just society in their country."