Mossad chief urged IDF to delay reaction after soldiers abducted - Haaretz

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		Mossad head Meir Dagan (Tomer Appelbaum/BauBau)

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Last update - 11:35 30/03/2007

Mossad chief urged IDF to delay reaction after soldiers abducted

By Avi Issacharoff and Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent

Mossad head Meir Dagan recommended after the abduction of two IDF soldiers in the North last July 12 that Israel delay its military response against Hezbollah.

Dagan explained it would be advisable to take basic steps to better protect the home front from possible Katyusha rocket attacks before striking in Lebanon. The full story will appear in the Passover supplement in Haaretz on Monday.

Dagan gave his recommendation during an urgent discussion in Defense Minister Amir Peretz's chambers on the day of the abduction. He believed a strike in Lebanon would trigger an escalation, which turned out to be the case.

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Shin Bet Chief Yuval Diskin and the Defense Ministry's chief official for diplomatic affairs, Amos Gilad, both concurred with that assessment.

The discussion with Peretz was one of several that day, and all led to the government's decision to retaliate with a massive bombardment. Among the first targets were Hezbollah's medium-range rockets, which were almost completely destroyed the following night.

Hezbollah responded with repeated Katyusha barrages until the fighting's last day on August 14.

During the discussion, Dagan said Israel would be involved in a prolonged confrontation. "The risk of damage to home front targets is very high. In my opinion, we don't have to strike right away. We can prepare and plan. What's to lose by striking in two days' time?" he said.

Dagan added that "if that means we have to wait for a couple of hours, then I suggest we wait."

To the surprise of the officials at the meeting, Peretz headed for Jerusalem without receiving further details on Hezbollah's threat to the home front, and the fact the home front was ill-prepared for war.

In the subsequent cabinet meeting that followed, Peretz did not relay the projected difficulty of exposing the North to a Katyusha onslaught. Therefore, the recommendation by Dagan as Mossad chief did not go up for discussion with the ministers.

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1.	Britain vs. Israel	03:44	\|	Holden	30/03/07

2.	Quick response	04:31	\|	Slibovitz	30/03/07

3.	What could Israel have gained by waiting a couple of days?	05:30	\|	Sherman	30/03/07

4.	#Holden :	06:26	\|	ReadIT	30/03/07

5.	the SCARED JEW once again............	06:36	\|	amir	30/03/07

6.	1. Holden. Britain is losing its detterrent fast every day	06:51	\|	Marwan مروان خوري	30/03/07

7.	#1 Holdem, how did they react to IRA	06:55	\|	Myron Berliner	30/03/07

8.	The rantings of #4 show complete ignorance of history and typical	06:59	\|	Marwan مروان خوري	30/03/07

9.	Degan for PM	07:40	\|	Esther	30/03/07

10.	Hold on Holden, Dresden rings a bell?	07:49	\|	Dan	30/03/07

11.	Mossad Has Deteriorated	07:55	\|	Tod Zuckerman	30/03/07

12.	#3 What could Israel have gained by waiting a couple of days?	08:06	\|	Gus	30/03/07

13.	#3 What could Israel have gained by waiting a couple of days?	08:06	\|	Gus	30/03/07

14.	to #1: Brits killed millions from India to South America...	08:08	\|	Alain	30/03/07

15.	mossad chief.	08:15	\|	les	30/03/07

16.	M. Berliner - Unlike Israel ..........	09:00	\|	JK	30/03/07

17.	Are we ready for the next war?	09:16	\|	miloimnick frm north	30/03/07

18.	To Marwan and Holden	09:45	\|	Samir Salameh	30/03/07

19.	#1 And, of course, Holden.....	09:47	\|	Johnboy	30/03/07

20.	#1 Holden, and others	09:48	\|	Uri	30/03/07

21.	Brits vs. Israel?	09:57	\|	skippy	30/03/07

22.	#1 Holden	10:16	\|	Gilbert	30/03/07

23.	Dagan Mossad	10:35	\|	David	30/03/07

24.	The War.	10:41	\|	Vital	30/03/07

25.	Wrong understanding	11:05	\|	Nathan	30/03/07

26.	#1 Coz the brits are cowards	11:10	\|	Joe Moer	30/03/07

27.	#1 Mr Holden on brittin vs ISRAEL	11:29	\|	Ari ben Yisrael	30/03/07

28.	israel`s vunerability	11:30	\|	David King	30/03/07

29.	Never delay a reaction if its about Lebanon	11:41	\|	Tamir Gaza	30/03/07

30.	for #1 Holden on numbers	11:42	\|	Ari ben Yisrael	30/03/07

31.	English cowards	11:43	\|	Moeen	30/03/07

32.	Tamir	12:50	\|	Beirut	30/03/07

33.	Beirut, Lebanese aren`t my type	14:20	\|	Tamir Gaza	30/03/07

34.	What Holden didn`t say	14:50	\|	Victor	30/03/07

35.	Clickfool where are you?	14:55	\|	Nik Miller	30/03/07

36.	#8, MARWAN, PROPAGANDA AGAIN	15:09	\|	VIPER	30/03/07

37.	#27, ARI BEN, PMSL, what are you thinking?	15:18	\|	VIPER	30/03/07

38.	Ari Ben Yisrael	15:40	\|	Nathan	30/03/07

39.	Mossad and the P.M	15:49	\|	james (yaacov) hazan	30/03/07

40.	READ	16:08	\|	Nathan	30/03/07

41.	mossad	20:20	\|	madda tenuk	30/03/07

42.	Ari Ben Yizrael	12:52	\|	Persian Kitty	01/04/07

43.	Open your eyes	08:05	\|	James	05/04/07

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