Inquiry panel blasts Olmert over Lebanon war

Inquiry panel blasts Olmert over Lebanon war

Presenting its much-anticipated interim findings, the commission held Olmert, 61, as well as his defence minister and military chief primarily responsible for 'grave mistakes' in the decision-making toward the war.

The trio launched the offensive against the Lebanese movement hours after its militants captured two Israeli soldiers and killed three others in a cross-border raid on July 12.

But the three acted without setting 'clear goals,' fully weighing other options and thinking through a 'detailed, comprehensive' military plan, retired judge Eliyahu Winograd, who heads the commission, told a news conference in Jerusalem.

The goals that were publicly stated - retrieving the two soldiers and dealing a lethal blow to Hezbollah - were 'too ambitious' and 'unrealistic.'

Other options that should have been weighed included continuing Israel's 'policy of restraint' along the northern border, combining diplomatic with military moves, and military preparations without immediate military action, said Winograd.

Olmert 'made up his mind hastily,' and failed to consult thoroughly with others despite his lacking experience in military and foreign affairs, he added.

Peretz, too, failed to hold 'systematic consultations' with experienced experts despite his own lack of experience, which also prevented him from challenging 'in a competent way' both the military and the prime minister.

'In all these ways, the minister of defence failed in fulfilling his duties' Winograd said, and thus 'impaired Israel's ability to respond well to its duties' - severe criticism likely to impact negatively on his chances in primaries of his Labour Party, Olmert's largest coalition partner, due to be held next month.

Former military chief of staff Dan Halutz, who resigned in January over public criticism of his performance, was slammed too, mainly for failing to alert the political leadership of the military's ill- preparedness for an extensive ground operation.

Halutz, said the 80-year-old former Tel Aviv District Court president, 'failed in his duties as commander in chief of the army' and 'exhibited flaws in professionalism, responsibility and judgement.'

The commission nevertheless also put part of the blame on the rest of the cabinet, which voted unanimously for the offensive, and on previous governments, which neglected to adequately prepare for and anticipate a possible flare-up at Israel's border with Lebanon.

The interim findings cover the first five days of the war and the six years leading up to it - since Israel's pullout from a self- proclaimed 'security zone' in southern Lebanon in May 2000.

A final report covering the second stage of the war until an August 14 ceasefire is due to be published in the summer.

Aides to a defiant Olmert declared in the hours ahead of publication that the premier had no intention of resigning, but planned to fully implement the report's lessons.

Olmert, who took office in May 2006 less than three months before the escalation erupted, however has argued in his defence that the war did succeed in altering the status quo in southern Lebanon in Israel's favour, with a larger international peacekeeping force and the Lebanese Army deploying along the border as a result of it.

He also says the ferocious ground and air offensive he launched restored Israel's 'deterrence,' in that its enemies would now think twice before launching any cross-border attacks at the Jewish state.

The Israeli public however appears unconvinced. Only 3 per cent of Israelis view him as 'most-suited' to lead Israel, well behind opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu, who came first with 30 per cent, and four other candidates, according to an opinion poll published early last month.

Netanyahu's spokesman, Ophir Akunis, said Monday: 'We expect from Olmert that he will carry out what he said, that he will take responsibility and resign.'

Limor Livnat, a legislator of Netanyahu's hardline Likud party, as soon as the report was published demanded 'early elections.'

Olmert's popularity has suffered also from a number of corruption investigations, including of suspicions that he bought his Jerusalem home for a bargain price in return for a possible quid-pro-quo, and that he tried to benefit two close friends in the privatization of a leading Israeli bank when finance minister in late 2005.

Israeli media quoted a 'senior member' of his ruling Kadima as saying the party would sooner or later ask him to step down 'to avoid dragging the faction down with him,' possibly after publication of the commission's final report.

Olmert's main challenger within his own party is Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, who enjoys wide prestige according to opinion polls.

Olmert was due to convene his faction in the early evening to discuss the report and its implementation.

At least 1,200 Lebanese, many of them civilians, and 159 Israeli soldiers and civilians were killed in the 33 days of combat, during which Israel launched hundreds of airstrikes on Hezbollah targets and Lebanese infrastructure, and the Shiite militant group fired nearly 4,000 Katyusha rockets at northern Israeli towns and villages.