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Ariel Sharon during the Yom Kippur War (Archive)
Last update - 19:47 07/10/2008
Ariel Sharon told 1973 probe: IDF top brass was clueless in Yom Kippur War
By Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Yom Kippur War, Ariel Sharon 

Former primer minister Ariel Sharon told a state inquiry that the army's top brass was completely ignorant of the situation in the field during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, in which commanded an Israel Defense Forces division.

The comments were made public on Tuesday as the Defense Ministry authorized the declassification of protocols relating to the Agranat Committee's deliberations.

Addressing the committee on 29 July 1974, Sharon said that shortly after his arrival at the southern front, he told then GOC southern command Shmuel Gonen (Gorodish) that the IDF's senior command "had no idea of what's happening on the ground.
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"I advised all the commanders to go down to the front to get a clearer idea of what's going on. The atmosphere in the war room was very gloomy because they were fully aware of the heavy losses we already incurred."

Sharon is currently in a coma, into which he fell in January 2006 while preparing to run for a third term as prime minister.

He commanded the 53rd Division during the war, in which he fought against the Egyptian army in Sinai.

When the Egyptian and Syrian armies launched an attack on Israel in October 1973, Maj. Gen. (res.) Sharon was the recently retired GOC Southern Command.

"I don't doubt the courageousness of the Chief of Staff [David "Dado" Elazar] or the GOC for one moment," he continued.

"I want to make it absolutely clear. They both are fine officers, who have shown unparalleled daring during 25 years of service. I'm just saying they didn't fully realize what was going on."

His testimony focused on his initiative to cross the Suez Canal, the IDF counteroffensive that led to the eventual Israeli victory.

"Crossing the canal was the only way I thought we could shake the Egyptian's confidence, and I said it to the Chief of Staff," Sharon said.

"He said that if it involves losing 50 tanks we shouldn't go ahead with it. I told him I don't think we'd lose 50 tanks. We agreed I should discuss it with the GOC. I went down to the war room and raised my demand again, but he said we couldn't do it that night. Eventually they devised an alternative plan without me, because I got held up, that was carried out the next morning."

The former leader also spoke of his conversations with the IDF outposts along the Bar-Lev fortification line, which were heavily bombarded and often overrun by storming Egyptian troops.

"I heard their cries for help for days, until they were rescued," he said. "They constantly demanded to be evacuated."

He also said that the IDF encountered "deep, unprecedented shock. Until then we had known no defeats."

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      1.   I Will Always Admire and Respect General Sharon 15:52  |  Johnny Weintraub 07/10/08
      2.   Sharon was an idiot 17:07  |  Gee 07/10/08
      3.   i wonder if sharon would not have went into a coma would he have 17:41  |  glenna 07/10/08
      4.   Jonny,without Petain the WW1 would have lasted longer 17:56  |  Absolute Sweden 07/10/08
      5.   ...and a war criminal too, dont forget 18:32  |  albert 07/10/08
      6.   to n°3 20:11  |  gil 07/10/08
      7.   IDF top brass was clueless and yet 1 jewish Army Won Against 21:24  |  Joseph.E 07/10/08
      8.   In the future: Probe exclusively politicians. 21:41  |  Nora 07/10/08
      9.   The Jewish Army Won thanks to Sharon?s brave and defiant move. 21:52  |  Mohse 07/10/08
      10.   Sharon the General 22:02  |  Moshe 07/10/08
      11.   CIA - Why Israel Was Not Ready for War in 1973 - 22:12  |  Al Talker 07/10/08
      12.   # 6 Nora 23:30  |  Joseph.E 07/10/08
      13.   Yom Kippur 23:56  |  Mike 07/10/08
      14.   IDF and Sharon 01:05  |  four x-ray 08/10/08
      15.   The hero that you called him idiot has saved the nation. 01:20  |  e.m.Jordan is Palest 08/10/08
      16.   Al Talker #11 01:36  |  Persian Kitty 08/10/08
      17.   #2-The hero that you called him idiot has saved the nation. 02:19  |  e.m.Jordan is Palest 08/10/08
      18.   clueless? you mean like olmert? yeah, that`s about right. 06:36  |  dante 08/10/08
      19.   Israel`s Yom Kippur Nuclear Alert 06:38  |  Anthony 08/10/08
      20.   #2 07:29  |  Comonsense 08/10/08
      21.   To #2 09:24  |  Patrick 08/10/08
      22.   To 12# Joseph E. : A sick man`s head 12:00  |  Nora 08/10/08
      23.   Gee was Sharon`s victory, mental defeat 13:32  |  Simon 08/10/08
      24.   Hashgacha 13:42  |  Joseph 08/10/08
      25.   THE BATTLE AGAINST EVIL GOES ON 14:32  |  Kathy 08/10/08
      26.   General Sharon vs the old man 15:09  |  Brod 08/10/08
      27.   Albert #3 16:03  |  Mickey 08/10/08
      28.   Why bring this up? 19:03  |  rigma 08/10/08
      29.   re #25 `THE BATTLE AGAINST EVIL GOES ON` 19:14  |  Colin Wright 08/10/08
      30.   Israel`s occupation of Arab lands 23:17  |  US taxpayer 08/10/08
      31.   thank you sharon 02:08  |  Tommer 12/10/08
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