Yesterday during the Senate’s hearings on Iraq, some decisions were reached regarding the direction of U.S. assistance in the area. General David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq asked for a delay in his troops’ withdrawal, demanding that at least 140,000 soldiers remain until the end of summer.

According to the Washington Post, General Petraeus stated that even though security in Iraq is “significantly better” than in the past years, it is still “fragile and reversible” needing all assistance available on the site.

"Withdrawing too many forces too quickly could jeopardize the progress of the past year … We have the forces that we need right now, I believe. We've got to continue. We have our teeth into the jugular, and we need to keep it there," Petraeus testified as quoted by the WP.

The testimony added new tensions to the issue of an apparently never-ending war, considering the heavy efforts made in the past five years, efforts made at the expense of thousands of human lives.

President George W. Bush did not comment on the matter, even though he has stated on numerous occasions that all actions, regarding this issue, will be taken on General Petraeus’s recommendations.

Both General Petraeus and Ryan C. Crocker, the American ambassador to Baghdad, the two involved in yesterday’s opening two-day Senate hearing, reached the conclusion that a very significant progress was made over the past years concerning security and also political stability.

Today’s discussions will probably decide the best way to continue the U.S. involvement.