Updated Wednesday at 12:15 p.m. with comments from Republican candidate Dean Scontras.

Maine politicians were quick to issue statements today after Gen. David Petraeus’ testimony in front of the U.S. Senate.

Petraeus appeared on Capitol Hill to discuss the current situation in Iraq, during which he suggested that the administration leave just under 140,000 troops in Iraq until at least the fall.

Sen. Susan Collins, as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, was one of those questioning Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker. According to a press release from her office, she noted during the proceedings that the high price of oil is sending more money to Iraq, therefore aid to Iraq should be presented in the form of a loan that would be repaid to the American taxpayer, and that the Iraqis also start to cover the cost of training and equipping their troops. Collins is working on legislation to do just this.

“The U.S. is continuing to pay for the training and equipment of Iraqi forces, fuel within Iraq, and the salaries, in many cases, of Iraqis,” Collins said, according to the release. “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?”

Crocker and Petraeus responded that they are in negotiations with the Iraqi Prime Minister for them to cover some of the expenses currently covered by the United States.

Collins also asked Petraeus about the United States’ role in combat operations, citing a recent battle in Basra where more than 1,000 Iraqi soldiers abandoned their positions.

“Ultimately the fate of Iraq is up to the Iraqi people,” Collins said. “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. So why should the U.S. continue to take the lead in combat operations?”

U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe and U.S. Rep. Tom Allen also responded to the hearing, along with Democratic First Congressional District candidates Ethan Strimling and Adam Cote and Republican candidate Dean Scontras. Candidate Chellie Pingree made remarks regarding Petraeus’ appearance Monday.

Sen. Olympia Snowe

Sen. Olympia Snowe issued the following statement following the hearings:

“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.

“Although the Iraqi Council of Representatives has recently reached a tentative agreement on a handful of pressing issues, these measures still need to be implemented. The Iraqi Government has failed to end the rampant graft and corruption, disarm all of the militias, and establish oil revenue sharing. As long as they assume the long-term protection of the United States will be in place, they have no incentive to address the root cause of the sectarian violence.

Senator Snowe also cited the performance of Iraqi military forces and the unwillingness of the Maliki government to fold the Sons of Iraq into the national construct as key points of concern, the press release states.

“As General Petraeus conceded today, the Iraqi Security Forces’ effort in Basra was “not adequately planned or prepared.” More than 1,000 Iraqi soldiers and police refused to fight or deserted their posts – after years of U.S. support and training – and unless the Maliki government moves quickly to fold the Sunni volunteers into the Iraqi Security Forces and civil service – they could easily reach a tipping point where their distrust and apathy towards the central government possibly turns them towards something.

“The U.S. military cannot sustain these force levels indefinitely – the Iraqi government must accelerate national reconciliation efforts to address the root causes of the violence, or, or the improved security situation that even General Petraeus described as ‘fragile’ may be short-lived.”

U.S. Rep. Tom Allen

U.S. Rep. Tom Allen issued the following statement following the hearings. Allen is challenging Collins for her Senate seat.

“I have tremendous respect for General Petraeus, who serves America with honor. When I met with him 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.

“More than five years after the invasion of Iraq and more than a year since the ‘surge’ began, General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker still cannot tell the American people when the War in Iraq will end. What General Petraeus has given us is a vision of what a US mission in Iraq that is ‘transitioned’ looks like: 140,000 American soldiers in Iraq, indefinitely.

“Neither General Petraeus nor Ambassador Crocker could tell Congress when political reconciliation among Iraq’s warring factions, the stated objective of the surge, would finally occur.

“We have already lost more than 4,000 Americans, and nearly 30,000 have been wounded in the Iraq War. The impact on our military readiness and the toll on our Armed Forces and their families have been enormous. A recent official Army mental health survey of troops who have served three or more tours in Iraq found signs of post traumatic stress disorder in more than 25 percent of these young men and women.

“The price of the Iraq War to American taxpayers has now surpassed half a trillion dollars and continues to cost $2.4 billion each week. Even when faced with these tremendous costs, neither General Petraeus nor Ambassador Crocker could give Congress a firm date on when this rapid spending will end nor how we account for it.

“I voted against authorizing the War in Iraq and have consistently criticized the failure of the President’s Iraq policies. 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.”

Ethan Strimling, Democratic candidate for the First Congressional District

Ethan Strimling said Petraeus’ testimony showed the surge intended to allow for gradual reduction of U.S. troops in Iraq is not working.

“We were told by the Bush Administration that by bringing more troops in now we would be able to bring more troops out later,” Strimling said in a release. “Gen. Petraeus made clear today that’s not going to happen. We surged in and surged out and as far as troop levels go we’re worse off than when we started.”

Strimling has called for an “immediate orderly withdrawal” of troops so the country can focus on real threats to security and economical issues.

“The Iraq war has lasted longer than US involvement in World War II, and has cost more than the 14-year Vietnam War,” he said. “Our kids and our grandkids are going to be paying for this war for decades, and it has not strengthened our security or lessened the global terrorist threat. It’s simply a tragic failure of monumental proportions, and the quicker we end our involvement in Iraq, the quicker we can address the real concerns of Maine people and get our economy moving again.”

Adam Cote, Democratic candidate for the First Congressional District

Adam Cote, an Iraq War veteran, issued the following statement:

"After watching the news from Iraq over the last few months and watching General Petraeus' remarks to Congress this morning, it is clear that we are still not headed in the right direction toward a responsible exit from Iraq. While I trust General Petraeus' assessment that the surge has succeeded militarily, the problem in Iraq has always been the lack of a diplomatic or political solution.

The Bush Administration has continued to ignore the fact that transplanting an American, western-style democracy simply will not work in a country with so many warring factions. Instead, I have always said that we need to send our best and brightest diplomats to Iraq to help the Iraqi people create a government that will allow them to live in peace and stability when our troops leave. I believe it is crucial that we provide diplomacy that is coupled with a plan that can begin to bring our troops home.

The next President and Congress will need to provide the serious civilian leadership, including promoting diplomacy and a political solution to the war in Iraq. Having served on the front lines in both Bosnia, where diplomacy was used successfully, and in Iraq, where it could be used successfully, I can be a leader on this issue from the start."

Dean Scontras, Republican candidate for the First Congressional District

Dean Scontras said that Petraeus’ report shows the surge in Iraq is working, and progress is being made in Iraq.

"As General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker continue to testify before the House today, increased recognition is being given to the measurable progress achieved by our men and women in uniform," Scontras said in a release. "It is imperative the Maine's next Congressman acknowledge, support and encourage continued progress in Iraq until victory is achieved both in political and military terms."

Scontras said the following are the most important successes: Significant reduction in overall violence in Iraq; significant reduction in civilian deaths; significant reduction in sectarian killings; significant reduction in attacks on American forces; coalition forces have captured or killed thousands of extremists in Iraq, including hundreds of key al Qaeda leaders and operatives; the Iraqi Ministry of Defense has assembled 134 army combat, infrastructure, and special operations battalions; the Iraqi national government is sharing vital oil revenues with Iraqi provinces; the Iraqi parliament has passed pension, de-Baathification reform, amnesty, and budget laws in just the last few months alone; and the Iraqi government has met 12 out of the original 18 benchmarks set for it and made substantial progress toward meeting five more.

Scontras criticized Democratic candidates in the race for issuing statements before the testimony was complete.

"General Petraeus is a widely respected leader of impeccable credentials who was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate to lead the U.S. troop surge and military operations in Iraq," Scontras said. "His testimony represents the most accurate, credible and up-to-date assessment of the security and political realities in Iraq. While I respect their right to disagree with America's foreign policy objectives, calling the Petraeus plan a failure even before the results are in seems like political grandstanding. This is a time for us to work together to decide the direction our country will take in fighting terrorism."

He calls for a bipartisan commitment to victory in Iraq.

"While there is no silver bullet for the challenges we face in Iraq, we need to look beyond politics and come together in a bipartisan fashion to solidify our gains in Iraq," Scontras said. "We must continue to hold the Iraqi government accountable for making greater political progress, and bring our troops home only after achieving victory. As a political outsider and civilian, I will always defer to the experts in matters regarding military strategy. I think it is in the best interest of our national security, and in the best interests of a stable Middle East, that candidates and career politicians do the same.’’