Excerpts From the Petraeus Hearing

Petraeus: "Sir, I think that at this point in Baghdad the population just wants to be secure. And truthfully, they don't care who does it. They would like it to be legitimate Iraqi security forces that are fair and impartial."

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"It appears also, general, that the strategy that is being put forth here inspires skepticism for good reason. Your manual ... not only suggests a minimum force level of approximately 120,000, but the manual places great importance on building up internal institutions and training to provide security. This escalation, despite the rhetoric about other goals, places primary emphasis on American military involvement, not Iraqi institutions." _ Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y.

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"There are 325,000, or so, that have completed the training, that met the requirement to be called trained and have the basic equipment that we agreed upon as the metric to be called equipped." _ Petraeus on the number of Iraqi troops who have been trained. He later added, "they are not all reliable."

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"I understand that the trains are on the legislative track and they are heading toward a collision. But I want to urge my colleagues to consider your testimony this morning and to put the brakes on. ... I fear that a resolution of disapproval will send you over there with us saying you're a good and great general but we don't agree with what you believe we need to do in Iraq." _ Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn.

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"We're not a division here today of patriots who support the troops and those who are making statements and working on resolutions that could be translated as aiding and abetting the enemy. We're trying to exercise the fundamental responsibilities of our democracy." _ Sen. John Warner, R-Va., who sponsored a resolution disapproving the president's plan.

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"It seems to me that one of the things that our troops deserve is our honest assessments and that they make a distinction between supporting them and supporting the policies of the administration. Would you agree with that?" Levin asked Petraeus. The general responded, "Yes."

Levin went on to ask, "You are not intending to be interpreted as supporting a resolution or opposing a resolution ... by your testimony?" Petraeus agreed.

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"I think it is ... the global struggle. And if you think it is Vietnam, today if you really believe we're in Vietnam, you should cut off funding." _ Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., referring to supporters of resolutions opposed to the Bush strategy.