Ehud Barak should have maintained his self-imposed silence, for we already have reason to regret his breaking it. On Tuesday, in his first encounter with military reporters since taking office, he expressed surprise at the poor state of the IDF inventory, the order of battle and, as he put it, "the IDF's shortness of breath." Well, we can only be surprised by his surprise.

Anyone who has taken even the slightest interest in the state of national security knew what was going on. There isn't a single Israeli citizen who hasn't followed the cutbacks in the defense budget with concern in recent years. This should certainly be the case of Barak, who did not lay down his marshal's baton even when he became a citizen. He was and remains Mr. Security, disappointing in hindsight and still promising in foresight.

How did it happen that the marshal, of all people, did not know, had not been briefed and did not take an interest? Perhaps this is what happens when a man goes into private business and starts observing from the top floor. Perhaps this is what happens when a man spends his time overseas and declines to wade in the local pool.