Last update - 00:00 01/12/2006
Halutz to respond to inquiry on troops' capture within two weeks
By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspodent
Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Dan Halutz announced Friday that he will decide within two weeks on how to respond to the findings of an internal IDF investigation into the July 12 abduction of two IDF soldiers by Hezbollah.
Halutz spoke at the Kirya base in Tel Aviv, after an official hearing Friday in which Division 91 Commander Gal Hirsch voiced his objections to the inquiry's findings.
Major General (res.) Doron Almog, who headed the inquiry, presented his interim report to Halutz on November 12. The report contained severe criticism of the conduct of Division 91, the regular division in the Galilee, prior to the abduction of reservists Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser.
Almog said the IDF's most senior officers failed, including those in the General Staff, the Northern Command, Operations and Military Intelligence.
Hirch represented himself during Friday's hearing, which lasting for an hour and a half, and was held before a forum including Halutz and a number of other generals.
Due to the severity of the findings, Hirsch has submitted a letter of resignation, but also demanded permission to counter the conclusions of the committee.
The process of an "extended hearing" was set up, following consultation with the Military Advocate General, to give Hirsch the chance to air his perspective.
Five officers testified on behalf of Hirsch: commander of the Armored Corps Battali0n whose four soldiers were killed when their tank drove over an explosive device during the search for the kidnapped soldiers, the commander of a Druze special infantry unit, the commander of Brigade 769, an operations officer in the brigade, and the brigade's intelligence officer.
Hirsch rejects the claims against him and intends to raise questions regarding the methodology of the investigating team under Almog.
Almog blamed Hirsch for the gap between the division's plans and their manifestation on the ground, which the investigating general said allowed for the kidnapping to take place.
Halutz has preliminarily accepted the findings of the interim report, but the chief of staff asked that the investigating team carry out further work on the role of other senior officers.
In essence, Halutz asked Almog to soften his conclusions on other officers.
On Tuesday, command over Division 91 will be transferred to Brigadier General Yossi Bachar.