Search For Soldiers; Murdered Soldiers; Blair's Farewell Visit
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Go ahead, just floor it. It is Thursday, May 17th, and you are in the CNN NEWSROOM. Unfolding this hour, intense and unrelenting. The massive search for three U.S. soldiers missing in Iraq now in its sixth day. The military hopes money will bring them crucial information. CNN's Hugh Riminton join us live from Baghdad. Hugh, give us sort of the state of affairs, the state of play right now. Where do things stand?</s>HUGH RIMINTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: OK. Well, the latest information that we've got from the search is simply that it is continuing. They've put out this reward money, $200,000. That's a great deal of money to Iraqis, to try to bring in information. They're acting on information. They continue to question people. They continue to reach out across this area in the belief that the three U.S. soldiers who were taken remain in the sector, as they're describing it. It's not being precisely defined, but the sector were they were initially taken. They do believe that if they are still there, they will find them in that area. It's just a question of keeping the people on the ground, going from farmhouse to farmhouse, from hut to hut, looking in the lanes, looking in the canals. Anywhere where there may be further clues.</s>HARRIS: And, Hugh, I'm just curious, we were talking yesterday of two suspects, two detainees, who claim to be a part of the attack. Have we learned any information as to what they're sharing with the military?</s>RIMINTON: Well, we can only hope that the U.S. military is gaining some information from them, and presume that that is the case. That hasn't been made more broadly public. The situation here is an intriguing one. In the course of their searches, as you say, they brought in two people who have apparently admitted they were part of the attack. Now, bear in mind that the U.S. military believes there were at least 10 people involved in this attack. But these two claim they are not al Qaeda. They say they were doing it for the money. They were paid, effectively like mercenaries, to take part in an attack. Now, one would think they would have a fair idea of who they were attacking with. Names, perhaps. But if not, certainly where they might have come from. Some information that will presumably being drawn out of them at the moment. But, again, it's being tightly held, this sort of information, for fairly obvious reasons.</s>HARRIS: CNN's Hugh Riminton for us in Baghdad. Hugh, thank you. Grief and uncertainty for the families of the ambushed soldiers. Three of the dead have been identified. The three missing soldiers and one of those killed are still listed as duty status whereabouts unknown. They are specialist Alex R. Jiminez, 25 years old, from Lawrence, Massachusetts, Sergeant Anthony J. Schober, seen here in a yearbook photo. He is 23 years old, from Reno, Nevada. Private First Class Joseph J. Anzack Jr., 20 years old, from Torrance, California. And Private Byron W. Fouty, 19 years old, from Waterford, Michigan.</s>HEIDI COLLINS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Stay in the CNN NEWSROOM for the latest on the missing soldiers. We do expect to hear from officials at their base, Fort Drum, in about an hour from now. They'll be holding a news conference at 11:00 a.m. Eastern. You will see it live right here on CNN. U.S. soldiers kidnapped and slaughtered nearly one year ago in the same area of Iraq. This morning, new developments in that investigation. A report points to serious mistakes in the mission. Live with details now, Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr. Barbara, fill us in on all of this.</s>BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Heidi, a report has just come out on this indent that took place almost a year ago, unbelievably in the same area of Iraq, where troops are now searching for the three missing U.S. soldiers. But this case last year, this was a group. Three soldiers were left guarding one end of a bridge. They came under attack. One soldier killed on site. Two of the soldiers kidnapped, taken away. Their bodies later found murdered and mutilated. The investigation into what happened -- you see some of the aftermath video of the search a year ago. The investigation now coming to these very disturbing findings. One, the observation post being staffed by just three soldiers in the middle of the night -- not enough. There were too few people left out there. The soldiers also, according to the investigation, stayed at this observation post way too long. They were there for many hours. They became tired. They should have been relieved of their duty there. The force protection measures at that site, inadequate. There was no immediate fire support, if you will. Rescue forces were too far away to help them when they came under trouble. And these soldiers, members of the 101st Airborne Division, a year ago, they were suffering so many casualties in this unit that basically the unit's performance was not up to par because they had suffered so many losses already in combat. Very disturbing findings, especially in light of what's going on right now. Heidi.</s>COLLINS: Yes. And quickly, Barbara, two questions for you in all of this. Has there been any sort of link, I mean, is the military looking at comparisons between that event and this latest event where we still have three missing U.S. soldiers?</s>STARR: Well, looking at it certainly in terms of what lessons they might have learned a year ago that might have prevented this. A lot of questions, I have to tell you, being asked up and down the hallways of the Pentagon as this goes on. How, once again, could a small group of soldiers be left -- although it was eight this time -- be left on their own, not have enough fire support, not have enough help ready on hand if they came under attack? In this case a year ago, one of the platoon leader, one of the company commander, relieved of duty, no criminal charges. But the bottom line that they found in this case a year ago, the mission was not properly executed, properly planned and the troops were not properly trained for it. They found that out a year ago. The question that may emerge once, of course, we know the fate of these three missing, is how did possibly this happen all over again. Heidi.</s>COLLINS: And, of course, as you well know, a part of the mission is always that planning stage and the assessment of the enemy. Sounds like, from what happened in 2006, that wasn't adequate either. Did anything happen to the commanders of those missions?</s>STARR: Well, as you say, that was one of the findings, that they didn't properly assess the enemy. Because, of course, nobody would put troops out there just willy-nilly, unprotected, unprepared. So, clearly, they didn't really know what they were going into. And that is one of the questions being raised again. As we say, the company commander, the platoon leader, relieved of duty. But what the investigators found is no criminal charges because there was no real willful intent to do this. This was a unit that simply was overwhelmed out in the field. Heidi.</s>COLLINS: Understood. All right, CNN's Barbara Starr live from the Pentagon this morning. Barbara, thanks.</s>HARRIS: Farewell visit from a loyal foreign policy friend. British Prime Minister Tony Blair at the White House this morning. We will hear from him and the president next hour. Let's go live to our White House correspondent, Elaine Quijano. Elaine, good morning to you. A trip down memory lane for these two men or are there some serious issues to still be discussed?</s>ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly a bit of both. The prime minister announced last week he'll be stepping down, but not until the end of June. So a lot on the agenda, as you can imagine. It has been a busy time for the prime minister, who arrived at the White House last night. Took part in a working dinner with President Bush. And then this morning, a Bush aide says that the two leaders had breakfast in the residence before walking to the Oval Office together. Now just a short while ago, the two also sat down in the situation room here at the White House for a joint U.S./U.K. secure video conference with the American and British teams in Baghdad. We're told that taking part, of course, on the U.S. side were General David Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker. Now, Prime Minister Blair certainly has been President Bush's staunchiest (ph) ally when it comes to the Iraq War, even as other European leaders have tried to distance themselves from the United States. On that issue, the prime minister has continued to stand shoulder to shoulder with President Bush. But that alliance has certainly proven costly politically for Prime Minister Blair as the Iraq War has grown unpopular, increasingly unpopular in Britain. Well, now the prime minister not set to step down for another six weeks or so. He and the president are set to meet again next month when the two leaders will be at the G-8 Summit. So while this is a farewell visit, Iraq at the top of the agenda, Tony, other topics being discussed today as well, including climate change and world trade. Tony.</s>HARRIS: And a joint news conference, oh, just a little bit over an hour from right now. White House correspondent Elaine Quijano for us this morning. Elaine, thank you.</s>QUIJANO: Sure.</s>COLLINS: They are at it again. Israel responding to attacks on its territory with attacks of its own. Old problem, new tensions, coming up in the</s>NEWSROOM. HARRIS: Racing through the streets of the nation's capital. In one car, the president's men. In another, the law man. At stake, a secret surveillance program. That story in the</s>NEWSROOM. COLLINS: Don't know much about history? Former Education Secretary Bill Bennett concerned about your kids. We'll tell you why. A live interview coming your way coming up in the NEWSROOM.