Fear, Fatigue in Hunt for U.S. Soldiers

[Ghost in the Machine]

Published: 5/18/07, 4:45 PM EDT
By KIM GAMEL

http://home.bellsouth.net/s/editorial.dll?pnum=1&bfromind=7405&eeid=5216266&_sitecat=1505&dcatid=0&eetype=article&render=y&ac=-2&ck=&ch=ne&rg=blsadstrgt

"MAHMOUDIYA, Iraq (AP) - U.S. soldiers fought exhaustion and braced themselves for the worst Friday as the military pressed forward with a six-day-old search for three missing comrades believed captured by al-Qaida in Iraq in an ambush south of Baghdad.

Even if the three are dead, soldiers said that the families back home needed to know what happened and that the attackers must be punished.



"We'll find them. I'll tell you what, they're going to wish they never did this thing," Lt. Col. Michael Infanti said.

Infanti, commander of the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, gave an impassioned pep talk to soldiers at a patrol base who were exhausted from the search.

"I can't tell you they're alive, and I can't tell you that they're not," he said. "This ain't over. This ain't over by a long shot."

[mike_c]

1. how many Iraqis have American troops detained and killed...?

Infanti's indignation rings a little hollow . Pot, meet kettle.

[uppityperson]

2. Around and around and around the cycle again.

tragic and tragic and tragic again.

[Monkeyman]

3. I know the feeling your Brothers are missing you will walk yourself to death

I pray they are found alive or all hell will break out. Lack of Chain of Command Payback will be very ugly

[xchrom]

4. i'm tired for them.

[Disturbed]

5. The revenge cycle continues.

It will spiral on for years.

[xchrom]

6. yep -- it sure will.

[Rydz777]

7. 5 more troops killed yesterday. The disaster goes on while

the Commander Guy goes on vacation.