Ex-Israel Army Chief: Olmert Must Resign
Pastor Dale Morgan
Ex-Israel Army Chief: Olmert Must Resign*
The Associated Press
Thursday, September 14, 2006; 2:26 AM
JERUSALEM -- A former Israeli army chief of staff said in comments
published Thursday that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert must resign for not
stopping a final, ill-fated battle in the Lebanon war.
Moshe Yaalon joined a growing chorus of military figures who have
questioned the wartime decisions of political and defense officials.
The sole purpose of the operation that killed 33 Israeli soldiers at the
end of the 34-day war against the Lebanese militia Hezbollah was to make
it appear that Israel had won, Yaalon told the Haaretz newspaper.
"That was a spin move," he said. "It had no substantive
security-political goal, only a spin move. It was meant to supply the
missing victory picture. You don't do that."
When asked if Olmert has to resign, Yaalon replied "Yes. He can't say he
didn't know."
The current military chief, Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz, must also resign,
Yaalon said, for "failing in the management of the war," and Defense
Minister Amir Peretz should be replaced since he does not have enough
security experience, he said.
Peretz admitted Wednesday that there were "failures" during the war and
said they must be corrected.
Appearing on Channel 2 TV in what was called his first interview since
the war, the embattled minister said he backs a formal inquiry into
Israel's handing of the war. He spoke just hours after Maj. Gen. Udi
Adam, the army commander of Israel's northern front, including the
Lebanon border, stepped down.
Olmert has established a government commission of inquiry into the
handling of the war in light of widespread public criticism of the
government and defense establishment. The critics have lambasted the
decision to delay a ground offensive until the last stage of the war,
and questioned whether Israel should have launched the offensive at all.
Also, reserve soldiers who were called up have complained about outdated
and missing equipment, poor preparation and faulty tactics.
The war, set off July 12 when Hezbollah guerrillas carried out a
cross-border raid into Israel, killing three soldiers and capturing two
others, included Israeli airstrikes against the Lebanese capital,
villages and infrastructure that left hundreds dead. Hezbollah rained
nearly 4,000 rockets on Israel's north, killing dozens and causing
widespread damage.