Subscribe to Print Edition | Tue., October 09, 2007 , | | Israel Time: 19:43 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Print Edition Diplomacy Defense Arts & Leisure Real Estate Jewish World National Advertising Magazine Week's End Business Opinion Rosner's Domain Anglo File Books Travel

The Winograd Commission at the release of its interim report. (Eyal Warshavksy / BauBau) del.icio.us Digg It!  new Last update - 12:49 09/10/2007 War probe panel to drop individual findings, expedite report By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent, and Haaretz Service The Winograd Committee investigating the Second Lebanon War will issue its final report without any conclusions or recommendations against specific persons involved. By so doing, the committee is trying to avoid having to issue warning letters to individuals who may be harmed by its conclusions, and thus be able to publish the report by the year's end. However, this may not be enough to avoid legal wrangles. Several senior IDF officers are planning to petition the High Court of Justice, arguing that even without any specific references to individuals, the report's conclusions may harm them. Advertisement Like an earlier petition to the court, which demanded that warning letters must be issued to subjects of the report's conclusions, and that they must be afforded an opportunity to respond, the officers are once more relying on what they consider to be their right to self-defense. In early October the committee informed the High Court that in the wake of the petition filed by the Military Advocate General (MAG) defense team, it intended to issue warnings to those who may be harmed by "the findings, conclusions or recommendations" to be included in its final report. Nonetheless, to date, the committee has not issued any such letters of warning. According to the Channel 2 main evening news bulletin, the committee has no intention of sending any such letters. The committee members decided recently that their final report will include only general conclusions and recommendations, which they believe do not require warning letters. The committee has not yet issued an official statement on this matter. Haaretz has learned that during closed deliberations, the committee decided that undertaking the legal route charted by the High Court petition, and offering individuals the right to respond, would delay the release of the final report by a year. On the other hand, if the committee were to opt for the more direct route, without discussing the role of individuals and without warning letters, it could publish the report by December. At least two committee members, Major General (res.) Menachem Einan and Professor Ruth Gavison, have other commitments that preclude them from remaining on the committee for another year. Moreover, the committee is concerned that such a long delay in releasing the report will render it irrelevant. Committee members have said recently that the report's planned form "will not provide the public with blood or heads rolling in the streets." "It is not our duty to offer a political bottom line, which determines whether the prime minister is suitable to serve in his position," the committee said. "But the report will say things sufficiently clearly and sharply. Those who want to interpret them politically and use the conclusions to confront the government may do so." In response to the reports, senior sources in the MAG's defense team said last night that the committee's decision is not satisfactory. They maintain that it contravenes the commitment the committee gave the High Court, and expressed concerns that even general statements regarding the conduct of military divisions will reflect negatively on senior officers who participated in the war. As such, the MAG is likely to insist the officers be allowed to respond before the report is published. Peretz to Knesset State Control Committee: Everyone is wiser in hindsight Former Defense Minister Amir Peretz said during a session of the Knesset's State Control Committee Tuesday that the declaration of war on Hezbollah last year was justified. Peretz also said that had the government refrained from retaliating to the abduction of the two soldiers to Lebanon by the Shi'ite organization, things would have been much worse. He stressed that it was not the abduction only that led to the government's decision, but a wide-ranging sequence of events. "All the critics are wiser in hindsight, and influenced by popular trends," Peretz concluded. Defense Minister Ehud Barak, his deputy, Matan Vilnai, IDF Chief of Staff, Gabi Ashkenazi and the Home Front commander, Major General Yitzhak Gershon, also attended the session. Gershon presented to the members of the panel future schemes for the protection of the home front during wartime. Committee chair Zvulun Orlev said that the discussion constituted a turning point in the relations of the security establishment and the committee, as the Home Front chief had previously petitioned the High Court of Justice to withhold an interim report by the state comptroller that enumerated the Home Front Command's failures during the Second Lebanon War. Related articles: The main findings of the Winograd partial report on the Second Lebanon War Lebanon war probe accuses Olmert of 'severe failure,' blasts Halutz, Peretz Bookmark to del.icio.us The Last Klezmer Ra'anana will host a concert celebrating the life of musician Leopold Kozlowski. Dignity or Liberty In the case of drug addicts, a person's dignity takes precedence over liberty.   1.   All this to protect their Jobs 02:37  |  ralphsrant1 09/10/07   2.   THERE IS NO Winograd Committee 06:05  |  AVI 09/10/07   3.   No personal conclusions 07:23  |  david 09/10/07   4.   Winograd Committee 08:10  |  Gad Giladi 09/10/07   5.   If the committee won`t name him, I will: NASRALLAH 08:47  |  Natallie Durson 09/10/07   6.   No names in the Winograd report? 08:50  |  Joseph 09/10/07   7.   Laudable decision 09:04  |  Esther 09/10/07   8.   Clearly NOT "The Untouchables" 10:55  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 09/10/07   9.   "TO EXPEDITE THE REPORT....." 11:31  |  Robert 09/10/07   10.   Winograd report 19:37  |  George Morgenstern 09/10/07

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