MK Sneh: IDF fortitude dropped by drastic 30 percent since 2003 - Haaretz

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		MK Ephraim Sneh. (Tomer Appelbaum)

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Last update - 16:43 25/09/2007

MK Sneh: IDF fortitude dropped by drastic 30 percent since 2003

By Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondent

The fortitude of the Israel Defense Forces has decreased drastically since 2003, MK Ephraim Sneh told the Winograd Committee investigating the Second Lebanon War. Sneh's comments were released to the public on Tuesday.

According to Sneh, the IDF's strength dropped by 30 percent between 2003 and 2006. Sneh served as deputy defense minister during Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000 and as a member of former prime minister Ariel Sharon's security cabinet between 2001 and 2002.

The drastic reduction stems from a worldview that says "instead of taking social necessities from those who have, they should be taken from the defense," Sneh said.

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Sneh pointed out during his testimony that he had opposed a unilateral withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000.

"I said the vacuum that was created when we left was filled immediately by Hezbollah in its complete strength. I said before the pullout, 'we will come back and fight on the ground in Lebanon, don't fool yourselves.' That was not the most popular thing to say at the time," he said.

The MK said he had recognized the possibility of a war in Lebanon shortly after the 2000 withdrawal. In his book, "Navigating Perilous Waters," which was published in 2002, Sneh wrote, "The fortitude of Hezbollah's strength is so large that they do not face the temptation to use it on any given day... in order to uproot [them] we will need go in on the group, deep and large."

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1.	Sad reflection!	16:37	\|	Buzaglow	25/09/07

2.	IDF = Bunch of children killers	16:46	\|	lakshmi	25/09/07

3.	Lakshmi!	16:59	\|	Buzaglow	25/09/07

4.	Sneh - An Obtuse Political Hack , But Smarter than Barak	16:59	\|	Tiod Zuckerman	25/09/07

5.	Sneh`s Accusations	17:01	\|	JordanisPalestine	25/09/07

6.	sad!!!!!!!!!	17:11	\|	EREZ	25/09/07

7.	I always did wonder how	18:32	\|	Kris	25/09/07

8.	RETAKE LEBANON,NO MORE HIZBOLLAH, NO MORE WAR, NO SUFFERING))))))	18:46	\|	VOICE of MOSHIACH)))	25/09/07

9.	buzaglow @3- about lakshmi	19:21	\|	scanadu	25/09/07

10.	How do you measure fortitude?	20:22	\|	Andy	25/09/07

11.	HOW DO YOU MEASURE 30%???	20:34	\|	Robert	25/09/07

12.	@8 VOICE OF MOSHIACH	21:04	\|	Mark B.	25/09/07

13.	to Andy # 10	21:06	\|	Robert	25/09/07

14.	Kris # 7	21:20	\|	Robert	25/09/07

15.	re #2 `IDF = bunch of child killers.`	21:36	\|	Colin Wright	25/09/07

16.	#3 You make an excellent point.	21:42	\|	David	25/09/07

17.	"opposed a unilateral withdrawal from Lebanon"	21:51	\|	Axel	25/09/07

18.	#2; IDF = Bunch of children killers?	00:32	\|	Murray of Montreal	26/09/07

19.	Murray of Montreal,Buzaglow,Scanadu	04:35	\|	Silvienne	26/09/07

20.	#12, Robert...	04:37	\|	Silvienne	26/09/07

21.	IDF = Bunch of children killers????????????	14:25	\|	Goij Mike	26/09/07

22.	@10.We are all humans, as such liable to make mistakes	15:24	\|	Goij Mike	26/09/07

23.	@16. What about the guidelines?	16:15	\|	Goij Mike	26/09/07

24.	#23, Goij Mike...	19:10	\|	Silvienne	26/09/07

25.	#2 if it looks like a terrorist, and acts like a terrorist	00:33	\|	a civilized Arab	27/09/07

26.	@24; Leftist / Right	13:39	\|	Goij Mike	27/09/07

27.	@25; Hear! Hear!	13:45	\|	Goij Mike	27/09/07

28.	accusations	17:46	\|	Paul	27/09/07

29.	That`s not how it works Moshiach	17:48	\|	Paul	27/09/07

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