Petraeus believes missing soldiers are alive

The top US commander in Iraq says he assumes that three missing US soldiers are still alive.

The search is intense.

Meanwhile, in Washington an effort to pull US troops out of Iraq failed again in the Senate.

The legislation would have cut off money for US combat operations in Iraq next March.

"Using our power of the purse to safely bring our brave troops out of Iraq," says Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold.

By more than two-to-one the motion failed.

Republicans are pleased.

Its a win for President Bush, who's picked a new senior advisor on Iraq...Lieutenant General Douglas Lute.

Still Democrats want a US pullout and have vowed to fight on.

South of Baghdad the search is still on for three missing US soldiers.

A bloody trail led away from Saturday's ambush where four US soldiers died, but General David Petraeus is optimistic about their possible fate.

"We believe that they are still alive, certainly at least that's the thinking right now."