Subscribe to Print Edition | Fri., October 26, 2007 Cheshvan 14, 5768 | | Israel Time: 22:39 (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

del.icio.us Digg It!  new Last update - 05:42 26/10/2007 Some of PM's defense talks before last year's war went unrecorded By Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondent Some of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's conversations with senior defense officials shortly before last year's war in Lebanon were not recorded due to a "malfunction," and certain others were intentionally unrecorded, Olmert's bureau chief Yoram Turbowicz told the Winograd Committee. His testimony last December to the committee investigating the Second Lebanon War was released for publication only yesterday. Turbowicz said that shortly after the incident that sparked the war - Hezbollah's abduction of two Israeli soldiers - Olmert spoke by phone with then defense minister Amir Peretz and then Israel Defense Forces chief of staff Dan Halutz. Advertisement When the committee noted that it had no transcripts of these calls, Turbowicz replied: "Not everything is recorded because there are malfunctions, as with everything in this country. So important things are suddenly not recorded." In addition, he said, some of Olmert's conversations were intentionally not recorded, to facilitate free discussion. Turbowicz said that Olmert insisted on a massive response to the cross-border raid; he nixed the idea of a "routine response" in which "we'd shoot a little and they'd shoot a bit and the affair would soon die down. "We were furious that they [Hezbollah] managed to kidnap [the soldiers]," he explained. "Did we understand then that we were talking about a large-scale military operation of the kind we in fact launched? The answer is yes," he said, adding that it was equally clear that Hezbollah would attack the home front in response. He said that "it was clear that the army was prepared, ready and willing to open another front. From the first moment, the chief of staff said there was no problem dealing with this. These things were said explicitly. The army said: 'We train for this all the time.'" Asked whether Halutz had warned the cabinet that the reserves had not trained for years, or that there were shortages of equipment, Turbowicz replied: "We were told nothing. "There was nothing from which we could have understood that the army wasn't ready." Bookmark to del.icio.us Halle's Jewish joke So Halle Berry told a Jewish joke. Is it really so bad? Does it make her an anti-Semite? Majadele's concession In an interview, the minister says Israel must pay the price for peace with the Arab world.   1.   Low-key and authentic 09:40  |  Esther 26/10/07   2.   Just Get Rid of Olmert A No Confidence Vote Needs To Be Taken NOW 16:30  |  Kipperraes 26/10/07   3.   THE INSTRUCTIONS TO MURDER LEBANESE CIVILIANS WERE NOT RECORDED 20:11  |  JACKAL 26/10/07

Today Online Experts: Syria cleared site hit by IAF in effort to hide evidence Responses: 170 Palestinians set fire to West Bank synagogue for second time Responses: 217 Rosner: Bush will lose Republican support if he pressures Israel Responses: 100 Harel and Issacharoff: Israel seeks to block Abbas route to Hamas Responses: 72 Yoni Goldstein: Despite Lieberman efforts, Montreal Jews aren't going anywhere Responses: 12 Rosner's Domain * Pressure on Iran - and the international community * WTR: Weakening Israeli support for peace process * Is Haaretz really better than the New York Times? * Republican leaders aren't happy with Bush's peace process More Headlines 22:34 Olmert vows not to cause Gaza humanitarian crisis 17:53 Minister Majadele: Israel is ready to return Golan for peace 22:09 Four militants killed in clashes with IDF troops in the Gaza Strip 21:01 Israel rescinds Arab Christian clergy travel rights in W. Bank 22:06 Archbishop of Canterbury to visit Israel, meet chief rabbis 16:06 Givatayim man killed in traffic accident after heart attack 11:09 Palestinians set fire to West Bank synagogue for second time 15:52 Syria complains to UN about Israel felling cherry trees on Golan 06:26 ANALYSIS: Israel's real intention behind sanctions on Gaza Strip 05:42 Some of PM's defense talks before last year's war went unrecorded Previous Editions Select Day 25 oct 24 oct 23 oct 22 oct 21 oct 19 oct 18 oct 17 oct 16 oct 15 oct 14 oct 12 oct

Special Offers Advertisement learn Hebrew online with israel's best teachers. Sign up for a trial lesson today Invest in Macedonia New Business Heaven in Europe Long-term Israel programs MASA is your gateway. More programs. More grants. Eldan Rent a Car Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on all online reservations JOIN FREE AT JDATE.COM The most popular online Jewish dating community in the world! Explore the possibilities! Click Here! Dead Sea Salt Beauty and skin care from the Dead Sea. Coupon code HAARETZ for 10% off! Junkyard Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt. Holiday Inn and Crown Plaza Israel Lowest internet rate Guaranteed at ichotelsgroup.com !

Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Underground | Site rules |

© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved