Odierno: 'Of course I have hope' on finding 2 missing soldiers, but 'As time goes on, it gets tougher. And that’s the bottom line...'

Still Missing: There was no word today on the search for Alex Jimenez, left, and Byron Fouty, front center. Both are listed as 'Duty Status: Whereabouts Unknown' following a May 12th attack. Left: A yellow ribbon tied round a tree at Byron Fouty's former high school.

Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, the No. 2 U.S. commander in Iraq, said... he’s still optimistic about the success of an intensive search for two soldiers still missing following an ambush south of Baghdad nearly three weeks ago.

“Of course I have hope,” Odierno said. “We continue to get tips. We continue to go after them aggressively as we get them.”

But, he admitted, “As time goes on, it gets tougher. And that’s the bottom line. ... But we’re not going to give up, and we will stay very focused on trying to find those great young men.”

Read the rest at Army Times