Probe: No victory in Lebanon war
JERUSALEM (AP) - January 30, 2008 Eliyahu Winograd, issuing the panel's final report, told a
packed auditorium in Jerusalem investigators found "failures and
shortcomings" in the country's political and military leadership
during the conflict. Nevertheless, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert acted
in what he thought was "the interest of the state of Israel," he
said.
"We found serious failures and shortcomings in the highest
level of the military command, especially in the ground forces, the
quality of deployment, preparedness, launching and implementation
of decisions and orders," Winograd said.
Still the 500-page report appeared to give an important boost to
Olmert, who had faced the possibility of harsher criticism that
could have threatened his job and his stated goal of signing a
peace treaty with the Palestinians within a year.
Officials in Olmert's office said they were optimistic after an
initial glimpse of the report. Olmert's spokesman, Jacob Galanti,
was quoted by Israel TV as saying the prime minister's office was
"breathing a sigh of relief."
Winograd said a last-minute ground offensive in Lebanon failed
because it did not improve Israel's position ahead of a cease-fire
and added the army was not prepared for that battle.
More than 30 Israeli soldiers were killed in that offensive
launched shortly before a U.N.-brokered truce went into effect.
Olmert had come under severe criticism for ordering the battle,
despite his contention that the offensive improved Israel's
position before the cease-fire.
