General Tommy Franks: U.S. Marines Have Found Seven Missing Soldiers Alive in War - 2003-04-13

General Tommy Franks, the commander of coalition forces in Iraq, stated that U.S. Marines operating around the city of Tikrit have found seven missing American soldiers alive. General Franks mentioned that it is still unclear whether these soldiers, which include an African American woman, are among those listed as prisoners of war or if they are individuals who went missing during operations. U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld reported that two of the individuals have gunshot wounds. CNN showed these soldiers among American forces. The Marines discovered them while moving towards Tikrit, the birthplace of the ousted President Saddam Hussein, which is considered the last stronghold of his regime. General Franks noted that American forces are currently in Tikrit and have not encountered resistance from Iraqi forces. He did not confirm whether the city has fallen but added that American operations are not yet complete. Tikrit, located 150 kilometers north of Baghdad, has been bombed multiple times by U.S. warplanes in recent days. General Franks also stated that American forces have samples of Saddam Hussein's DNA for potential use in ongoing investigations to determine if he is alive or dead. Images broadcasted today by CNN showed abandoned armored vehicles on a road leading to Tikrit. These images also depicted military bases with no signs of Iraqi soldiers present. Meanwhile, armed individuals stopped the CNN news crew while they were heading to Tikrit and asked them to turn back. Reports indicate that shots were fired at the crew during their return, but they were unharmed. In northern Iraq, reports also indicate that Iraqi soldiers have entered Mosul and Kirkuk, which had previously been abandoned by Iraqi troops.