Washington ? Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Pat Roberts said Saddam Hussein’s capture was a tribute to the intelligence community, but the war on terrorism was far from over.

“You don’t know whether to expect immediate retaliation in the midst of the jubilation of many in the streets in Iraq, but we are prepared for that,” Roberts, R-Kan., said in an interview with The Associated Press. “And in addition, I think this is a signal to the Baathist party loyalists they are not going to be in power.

“I’m not sure how this will affect foreign Islamic terrorists,” he added. “This is not over. This is still going to be a high-risk operation. We have to achieve some kind of stability before we begin any kind of war crimes tribunal.”

Roberts said he agreed with several of his colleagues who are advocating that Iraq be in charge of bringing Saddam to justice.

He mentioned seeing a mass grave site during a visit to Iraq.

“You cannot stand on a hillside and look at a massive grave site the size of a football field without the thought that there must be justice, and there must be some closure to 30 years of the barbaric rule of Saddam,” Roberts said.

Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Kan., predicted Iraq would be less safe in the short term.

“I would think there would be one last rebellious strike by those who are loyal to Saddam Hussein,” said Tiahrt, who serves on the defense spending subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee.