Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Monday that when he was appointed two months ago he was surprised by the poor state of affairs the defense establishment and the Israel Defense Forces in terms of stocks, force size, and "endurance."

In his first conversation with military affairs correspondents since taking over from his predecessor Amir Peretz, Barak blamed budget cuts that were carried out in recent years despite "the strategic reality that is emerging in the Middle East."

According to Barak, the IDF must carry out a plan for building its forces in a manner that will allow Israel to implement its basic security approach of deterrence, advance warning, and decisive victory.