In pictures: Senate Iraq hearings

The US Senate bristled with cameras and microphones as Congress prepared to hear the third report on the Iraq troop "surge".

For some Americans, the hearings were as important for the comments of Barack Obama and the other two top US presidential hopefuls as for what was said about the Iraq situation.

Gen David Petraeus, America's top soldier in Iraq, chatted with Hillary Clinton before delivering his report. Mrs Clinton is vying with Mr Obama to be the Democrats' candidate.

Also in the room was John McCain, the man George W Bush's Republican party has picked as its candidate.

As Gen Petraeus and his colleague, Ambassador Ryan Crocker, delivered their report, a demonstrator was removed after be began yelling "Troops out now".

In a gruelling round of briefings, Gen Petraeus and Mr Crocker took questions from the senators.

Mr Obama and Mrs Clinton pressed for troops to be withdrawn, attacking Mr Bush's policies in Iraq.

John McCain spent part of his day with fellow army veterans who waved posters with such slogans as "Peace by Victory".

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