Some quotes from members of Maine’s congressional delegation regarding Tuesday’s Senate hearings on Iraq, which featured testimony from Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker:

“You mentioned that the era of our paying for major reconstruction is over. But we’re continuing to pay the salaries of the sons of Iraq in many cases. We’re continuing to pay for the training and equipping of Iraqi forces. I’m told that we’re even continuing to pay for fuel within Iraq. Isn’t it time for the Iraqis to start bearing more of those expenses, particularly in light of the windfall in revenues due to the high price of oil? … Ultimately the fate of Iraq is up to the Iraqi people. My concern is that as long as we continue to take the lead in combat operations rather than transitioning to more limited missions, the Iraqis will never step up to the plate and fight for their country.” – Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee

“The gains in the security situation on the ground are laudable, and are a true testament to the remarkable job our brave men and women serving in uniform have done. They will have the continued support of Congress and of a grateful nation. Yet, despite the improved security situation, General Petraeus admits that the gains are ‘fragile’ and ‘reversible.’ Indeed, the Iraqi government has still, more than five years after combat operations began, demonstrated neither the will nor the capacity to sufficiently enact and implement the measures necessary for national reconciliation – and therefore, it’s long past time for us to redeploy and transition our forces to a change of mission.” – Sen. Olympia J. Snowe, R-Maine

“When I met with [Petraeus] in Baghdad last summer, he told me that should we continue with President Bush’s policies, American forces will be in Iraq for another decade. His testimony today indicated no change to that assessment. … What General Petraeus has given us is a vision of what a U.S. mission in Iraq that is ‘transitioned’ looks like: 140,000 American soldiers in Iraq, indefinitely. … The only way to change direction in Iraq is for Congress to set a firm, responsible deadline for bringing our brave men and women home. I will continue to vote against funding for the war that does not include a clear and responsible end to our involvement in Iraq’s ongoing religious civil war.” – Democratic Rep. Tom Allen of Maine’s 1st District