Less than 24 hours before the Winograd Committee publishes its interim report on the first five days of the Second Lebanon War, the media is inundated with details of the report's contents and its results guarantee a politcal earthquake. This is despite the fact that the report was printed in the Shin Bet (Israel Security Service) to prevent leaks to the press.

The report relates to the handling of the war's first days by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister Amir Peretz and former Chief of General Staff Lt.Gen. Dan Halutz. While the committee does not advise Olmert or Peretz to step down, the public outcry the report's findings will cause could lead to a change in government.

The committee found Olmert was hasty in his judgement, had no plans or stratgey prepared in the event of a war breaking out, relied totally on the army without questioning or demanding alternative options to be considered, and lacked in leadership qualities.

Peretz who was appointed defense minister just ten weeks before the fated war, was found to be totally lacking in experience and made no attempt to overcome this by seeking professional advice from experts during the course of the war. Rather than lead the military's strategy he was led, the committee says.

Former Chief of General Staff Lt.Gen Dan Halutz failed to present the cabinet with a number of alternative plans to deal with the situation, and in effect forced the cabinet to accept the only plan he had. Halutz also failed to take into account the serious effect the constant Katyusha rockets had on residents in the North who were forced to live in shelters for so long. He also refused to accept any advice offered by senior IDF officers in the General Staff and in effect silenced them.

The early reports in the media have already generated harsh criticism among Knesset members, former cabinet ministers and members of the public.

Former head of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee MK Yuval Steinitz called the media reports extremely grave. Former Oppostion leader MK Ofer Pines-Paz declared “everyone knows that three people only led the war, the Prime Minister, Defense Minister and former Chief of Staff.” He also rejected claims that the entie cabinet are to blame as they were part and parcel of decisions made during the war. “Many of the ministers offered alternative options and raised ideas but none of them were accepted,” he said.(29042007)

Margot Dudkevitch

Infolive.tv