U.S. "Cautiously Optimistic" GIs Are Alive

Spokesman Says Evidence Indicates 3 Missing Soldiers Are Still Living

(CBS/AP)  U.S. officials expressed cautious optimism Thursday that three missing American soldiers are still alive even as troops drained canals and questioned children in the search for the troopers feared captured by al Qaeda.

Australian forensic experts and American FBI agents have joined the search for the soldiers, who went missing after an attack south of Baghdad on Saturday in which four U.S. troopers and one Iraqi were killed.

Lt. Col. Randy Martin, a U.S. military spokesman, said five days of searches had produced a number of leads that "point to the fact that these men are still alive."

"There are also reports to the contrary. But we have an obligation to follow on every intelligence tip," Martin said.

"There is cautious optimism that in fact these soldiers can be found alive," Martin said. "That's what we pray for, that's what we hope for."

Col. Michael Kershaw, a brigade commander, said some physical evidence associated with the missing soldiers had been found, raising hopes they were alive. He refused to say more.

The ambush occurred along a palm-lined rural road near Youssifiyah, 12 miles south of Baghdad.

Two suspects have confessed to taking part in the ambush, but there’s still no big break in the kidnapping, reports CBS News correspondent Mark Strassmann.

Four days after the attack, the ambush site remained littered with debris and pieces of armor on a swath of blackened asphalt on a palm-tree lined road, guarded by Humvees.

Shell casings found around the two vehicles indicated the soldiers — from D Company, 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division — had put up a fight but were overwhelmed by automatic weapons fire and rocket-propelled grenades, military officials said.

Three unexploded roadside bombs were found near their burned out vehicles, they said.

An al Qaeda front organization — the Islamic State of Iraq — claimed responsibility for the attack and warned the Americans to call off the search or risk the safety of the captives.

As part of the effort to find the missing soldiers, Kershaw said troops had drained at least two of the canals that crisscross the Euphrates River flood plain. Armed patrols have walked for hours along the banks of others looking for any sign of the soldiers.

"In some cases we're using rubber boats to paddle down them; in other cases, the guys are just walking," Kershaw said.

More than 500 people have been questioned so far, of whom 150 had provided intelligence, he said.

Australian forensics experts and two FBI agents have been brought in for specialized investigative work, including questioning women and children who had been separated from the military age men. Kershaw said two young brothers had provided the first lead about which direction the insurgents had followed after capturing the troops.

The soldiers were attacked while manning an observation post composed of two Humvees surrounded by concertina wire that had been breached, he said. They were watching for insurgents placing roadside bombs about 800 yards from their patrol base in a rural villa.

The area is inhabited by Sunni Arab clans who had been loyal to Saddam Hussein, and al Qaeda has been active there for several years. The area has been nicknamed the "triangle of death" because of frequent attacks against Shiites traveling between Baghdad and shrine cities to the south.

Last June, three soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division killed in the same area. One died in an insurgent attack. The others were abducted and their mutilated bodies were found three days later.

Kershaw told reporters that after the June attack, insurgents paraded the two captives along the same road where the Saturday abduction occurred.

Two officers were relieved of their commands after the June killings. A military investigation concluded that the soldiers had been left alone for 36 hours in a poorly planned mission, an official familiar with the investigation told The Associated Press in Washington.

[barbaraf4]

If one of these three soldiers was my son, husband or brother, I would be praying that they were dead. As long as they are alive, they can and will be tortured.

[susha4]

If they were alive they would be showing video tapes of them and making demands for an exchange. They aren't, so we have to make only one conclusion.

[j-whitman]

What does Bush care ???? ---- Not at all,, He won't even give them a 3.5% pay raise.

[mh4cbs1]

Support the troops! End this War.

Cheney and Bush LIED us into this needless, horrific DISASTER! They have fueled the hate and resentment against our nation. They have done Osama a service by fueling terrorism and letting him escape by moving our troops into Iraq.

It is time Cheney and BUsh are impeached and thrown in JAIL for their CRIMES!!

We need a new leader with a vision of peace for the region, not more WAR! It is the only way to breack the cycle. War breeds hate, fear terrorism. But Cheney and Bush and the NeoCons don't care -- they invaded to control the Oil and set up permanent US bases in Iraq.

[searingtruth]

With all my heart I hope that these brave and blameless soldiers and fellow citizens are alive and unharmed.

And with all my heart I pledge that Bush and his henchmen, who have placed them in such needless jeopardy, shall be justly tried for their crimes.
ST


"Once again, a mirage of salvation that condemns all."
SearingTruth


A Future of the Brave - www.searingtruth.com

[retmilspouse]

This is to the family and friends of the captured soldiers:
We are praying for their safe return. Please know that others that have been in your situation are with you in heart and soul.

[feelfree1]

Just by the title of this article, I suspected that:

a) this article would contain many unsupported broad claims about imaginary groups, such as, "and al Qaeda has been active there for several years", and "An al Qaeda front organization %u2014 the Islamic State of Iraq %u2014 claimed responsibility for the attack"

b) this article was submitted by CBS News correspondent Mark Strassmann- CBS's own version of Judith Miller.

###

Re: "Australian forensics experts and two FBI agents have been brought in for specialized investigative work, including questioning women and children who had been separated from the military age men"

Terrorizing more Iraqi women and children, in persuit of a wild goose. How disgraceful.

Re: "Two suspects have confessed to taking part in the ambush"

Sure they have, Mark. Suuure they have. But yet they have no idea what happened to the missing soldiers. Does that really make sense to you?

[nothappyatall]

"U.S. officials expressed cautious optimism Thursday that three missing American soldiers are still alive"

Not for long, they'll be paraded on video clips like the others and be executed by a country who hates our guts, wants us OUT, and whom we have abused for 4 years thanks to BUSH.

[mh4cbs1]

News you that you won't see on CBS....

In Iraq, the repeated use of cluster bombs has left a devastating legacy that continues to severely restrict the lives of its people, the charity reports. More than 4,000 civilians have been killed or injured by failed cluster munitions since the end of the 1991 Gulf war. Some 60% of the casualties have been children.

Thanks US WAR MACHINE!

[rhs648]

"Former Commanding Generals in Iraq are now telling America the Truth, that George Bush DID NOT listen to their advice as he has stated, but chose to IGNORE it. He just can't stop lying, and our people are still dying.
IMPEACH BUSH/CHENEY CRIMINALS NOW!!!!"

Posted by veteran71

Perhaps the generals did a poor job with the war and need to be held accountable. It is very natural to blame others for ones failures. By shifting their failures to the administration, the generals are placing blame on others, not themselves. So typical of many Americans.

[searingtruth]

"... Perhaps the generals did a poor job with the war and need to be held accountable. It is very natural to blame others for ones failures. By shifting their failures to the administration, the generals are placing blame on others, not themselves. So typical of many Americans."
rhs648


Aaaahhh ...
The same old obfuscations of evil.

Much easier to defend against than the new obfuscations (hee hee).

I don't even have to add anything original.
ST


"If the Party could thrust its hand into the past and say this or that even, it never happened%u2014that, surely, was more terrifying than mere torture and death."
George Orwell, 1984

"And if all others accepted the lie which the Party imposed%u2014if all records told the same tale%u2014then the lie passed into history and became truth. 'Who controls the past' ran the Party slogan, 'controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.'"
George Orwell, 1984

A Future of the Brave - www.searingtruth.com

[rhs648]

SearingTruth - If a rogue cop plants phony evidence on a suspect, does this mean all cops are corrupt? If a politician is corrupt, does this mean all politicians are bad? If a priest molests a child, does this mean all priests are evil? The generals are responsible for conducting the war. Do we expect them to accept blame for failure. No, they will blame the next guy. This is known as passing the buck. By the way, why hide behind the George Orwell gibberish?

[feelfree1]

rhs648,

Re: "Do we expect them to accept blame for failure."

The failure was in waging a fraud-based illegal war of aggression in the first place. The subsequent crippling military deafeat is just the salt-rub in the more fundamental wound.

We the People, had as much chance of 'winning' this war, as we do of 'winning' a rape.

Only the most hopeless and dead-brained Bush dupes still seem unable to grasp this basic truth.

It will be very amusing if the Bush pirates move to shift the blame for their military catastrophes to the generals, though.

Orwell's got you pegged, 'rhs648'

[feelfree1]

Out of Iraq:

www.ipetitions.com/petition/OutNow Now!!!

[searingtruth]

"SearingTruth - If a rogue cop plants phony evidence on a suspect, does this mean all cops are corrupt? If a politician is corrupt, does this mean all politicians are bad? If a priest molests a child, does this mean all priests are evil? The generals are responsible for conducting the war. Do we expect them to accept blame for failure. No, they will blame the next guy. This is known as passing the buck. By the way, why hide behind the George Orwell gibberish?"
rhs648


No, but if the President of the United States of America claims he is no longer subject to the laws of our land, and admits he has constructed a network of secret prisons where anonymous domestic and foreign citizens who have been illegally abducted are imprisoned indefinitely without charge or representation, and have often been tortured and sometimes murdered, then he has committed high treason against our great nation.

And yes, this means that not only he, but all of his henchmen, are not only guilty of treason against The United States of America, but also mass crimes against humanity.

As for George Orwell, you'll have to address generations of historians and literary critics about his gibberish.
ST


"People will believe in almost anything, except for reality."
SearingTruth

A Future of the Brave - www.searingtruth.com

[starleo146]

You know I think these men were on a mission that was so mismanaged, here they are just 8 of them, no back up, took 1 hour to get to them, who commanded these boys to go out there? My first thought was this, and I bet the men in charge are praying for them to be found for different reasons that the whole of the united states and there families are hoping for. This has been the problem with this war incopetance in leadership from the officers to Pres. Bush and the Vice pres. as well I am so tired aren't you. Pres. Bush you have been such a disappointment to the people I wish you would save us all and just resign. Every decision you have made has been a disaster from Iraq to Gonzales to Wolfie to immigration please just stay in your oval office and no more decisions.

[starleo146]

Why do we hear all these confessions now why were they not taking up the airways with all these revelations before Bush said GO Tenet and all these incopetant generals who knew and gave advice to Bush but did nothing to let the American people know about these lies and 3400 dead and I cannot think about all the injured both American and Iraque. I know your retirement and the retirement money you would lose I tried is not good enough there had to be a way to get to this bullhead Pres.

[usadvisor101]

i hope they do find them !!! and when they do, send them and the rest back home. and when they get back home, send bush, cheney, rice, aipac rat wolfie and any other POS chicken hawks that still think we need to stay there, back to iraq to take their place !!!

[rhs648]

"The Generals told the Little Decider that this "War" was not going to be won militarily, and that we needed to move our troops out of the way of their internal tribal conflicts, so they wouldn't be killed for NOTHING. Your Little Hero, using his vast personal experience as a Combat Veteran, (and the fact this is all about Oil Theft and War Profiteering, not saving soldiers lives), didn't agree, and chose to find a General that would say "YES" to continuing on with his failed and incompetent leadership.
So you keep cheerleading for your little AWOL/Deserter, Drunken, Cokeheaded, Coward, and blaming numerous, actual, real, decorated General Officers,.....you deserve each other.

Posted by veteran71

You appear blind to the Muslim threat. In my family, two persons were lost to 9-11. A niece was a flight attendant when her plane crashed. A brother-lin-law suffered a fatal heart attack while watching the Twin Tower attacks. Do I support the war against terror? You bet I do! Whenever and wherever they can be found. Further, they deserve the same rights that were given to my niece and brother-in-law,none. Further, I support any president willing to take on the Muslim threat. Unfortunately, most presidents are too timid to take-on the Muslim threat.