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Last update - 18:24 22/11/2007
Ex-defense min.: IDF could have brought Hezbollah to its knees
By Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Winograd, IDF, Hezbollah 

Israel had optimal conditions to secure a victory over Hezbollah during the Second Lebanon War, according to former defense minister Yitzhak Mordechai's testimony before a panel investigating the war.

The Winograd Committee has heard the testimonies of the top military and political echelons in efforts to identify the failures of the 2006 war. Mordechai served as head of the Northern, Southern and Central Commands in the Israel Defense Forces and later served as defense minister between 1996 and 1999.

In testimony released Thursday, Mordechai's told the panel that "we could have hit Hezbollah dramatically, and prevented the Katyusha rocket fire on [Israel's] north in a short period of time."
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He added that the conflict should have served as "schooling for the entire Middle East on the fact that the IDF knows how to conduct, and should conduct a war, the results of which would affect Hezbollah and anyone watches them in the region. To my great disappointment, the result was different, the opposite."

"It would have been possible to bring Hezbollah and everyone standing behind them to their knees to ask for a truce and an end to the war," said Mordechai.

This could have been accomplished if Israel had launched a wider ground operation, he said. "In this situation, the entire army with all its force and expediency should have entered everywhere and neutralized their capabilities. They have no conscription army, no air force to oppose and no navy; we have all of the means and all of the units."

Mordechai said that the day after the war broke out he called then IDF Chief of Staff Dan Halutz and offered him his help: "I offered myself for any position they would want to give me, from commander post to aide for every commander at every rank," he said.

"When there was no response, I checked and understood that they were getting on. I also called Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and offered myself for any position wanted. I have no issues of honor or any other issues. I am ready to position myself for any task, anywhere and at any time."

Mordechai, who also once served as Transportation Minister, retired from political life in 2000 after being indicted for sexual misconduct during his military service.

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Ehud Barak told Israel Radio on Thursday that the government would act in an appropriate manner once the war probe panel's full report is published.

"When the Winograd Committee's full report is published, we will read it and act apporiately," Barak said. "We must read the report and see what is correct for the State of Israel."

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      1.   we could have won... 16:44  |  northern neighbor 22/11/07
      2.   Sorry, try again and you will see more and more 16:46  |  Khalil Ishabib 22/11/07
      3.   Hindsight is always 20/20! 16:55  |  Jacques 22/11/07
      4.   Perverted logic 17:01  |  Omran 22/11/07
      5.   The only thing Mordechai knows about bringing people to their ... 17:15  |  kobi 22/11/07
      6.   How I won the war, by Yitzhak Mordechai 17:18  |  Natallie Durson 22/11/07
      7.   Morcechai was right 17:30  |  Sabra 22/11/07
      8.   #2 17:32  |  Moshe 22/11/07
      9.   to Khalil enjoy your freedom while it lasts 17:37  |  Gabriel 22/11/07
      10.   Mordachai 17:54  |  Mario 22/11/07
      11.   keep it clean yitsik 17:58  |  miloimnick frm north 22/11/07
      12.   POLITICIANS BECOMING WISE WHEN NOT IN POWER.WHO LET HIZBOLLAH IN? 18:03  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 22/11/07
      13.   Our not illustrious, but lusterless leader. 18:04  |  izak 22/11/07
      14.   What does it mean to win a war 18:06  |  ERSB 22/11/07
      15.   To Mario and the like. Let`s get one thing straight: 18:10  |  Jacques 22/11/07
      16.   "I could have been a contender" 18:10  |  Clickfool 22/11/07
      17.   Facts On The Ground 18:18  |  Arthur Brina 22/11/07
      18.   BLA..BLA..BLA..IT WAS OVER, MR.EX-DM 18:29  |  indrajaya 22/11/07
      19.   VOICE of ISREALGOTITSASSHANDEDTOTHEM))) 19:02  |  Mike 22/11/07
      20.   A Keystone Cops Performance 19:23  |  Tod Zuckerman 22/11/07
      21.   only reason israel lost,was OLMERT & PERETZ 19:29  |  chaim schonbrun 22/11/07
      22.   DETROY HIZBALLA = PEACE WITH LEBANON 19:40  |  JUDGE 22/11/07
      23.   to Jacques - That`s why an all out operation was needed.eom 19:43  |  JUDGE 22/11/07
      24.   He`s right - the problems with waging a limited war 19:44  |  Da Nang 22/11/07
      25.   HAHAHAHAHAHAHA 19:45  |  JACKAL 22/11/07
      26.   it`s the same damn thing as in vietnam 19:48  |  joki 22/11/07
      27.   Oh Natallie, Indraja and Clickfool - Just give up! 19:50  |  Jewboy 22/11/07
      28.   Why did USA want Israel to LOOSE? 19:54  |  Jeff 22/11/07
      29.   Did Govt. want to win? 20:01  |  sam 22/11/07
      30.   For Mike # 19 20:15  |  Clickfool 22/11/07
      31.   To Omran 20:25  |  I.A. 22/11/07
      32.   armchair general 20:31  |  tom 22/11/07
      33.   To Jewboy 20:32  |  I.A. 22/11/07
      34.   To Jewboy 20:39  |  I.A. 22/11/07
      35.   For Jewboy # 23 20:49  |  Clickfool 22/11/07
      36.   Israel failed & got it`s ASSKICKED 20:52  |  POP 22/11/07
      37.   he`s the brainy one 21:08  |  confused 22/11/07
      38.   The fantasy of air power 21:14  |  Mark Lincoln 22/11/07
      39.   In times of war against Hisbo terrorists, Israels 21:21  |  TOMY 22/11/07
      40.   I also offered my advice. I was ready even to work as a 21:27  |  Andreas 22/11/07
      41.   What a loss? 21:41  |  Salameh 22/11/07
      42.   Sorry Hezbollah admirers, victory looks otherwise 21:42  |  infidel 22/11/07
      43.   Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda 21:48  |  Natallie Durson 22/11/07
      44.   Should have used the tactics against the British 22:13  |  Ricardo 22/11/07
      45.   Mordechai is making up for his sexual misconduct 22:34  |  Sam (UK) 22/11/07
      46.   #27 22:39  |  Moshe 22/11/07
      47.   infidel`s victory 23:09  |  you win 22/11/07
      48.   They Both Got 23:38  |  JJ 22/11/07
      49.   Empty bravado 23:51  |  peacelover 22/11/07
      50.   They turned & ran ! And out of frustration and vengeance they got 00:47  |  lakshmi 23/11/07
      51.   failings came from politcs, bad tactics and budget cuts 01:11  |  zionist forever 23/11/07
      52.   It was Olmerts Iraq 01:14  |  zionist forever 23/11/07
      53.   To Clickfool no.33 01:52  |  dovale 23/11/07
      54.   40 infidel,do read post 43 7 you`ll get my take on it! 02:32  |  lakshmi 23/11/07
      55.   #34 05:24  |  Moshe 23/11/07
      56.   #5, kobi in tel aviv, well said... 06:22  |  Silvienne 23/11/07
      57.   #26, Jewboy to Natallie, Indraja, Clickfool.. 06:27  |  Silvienne 23/11/07
      58.   Silvienne goes genocidal? 08:26  |  infidel 23/11/07
      59.   57Silvienne,greetings,check my posts 50&54 for my reply to the 12:50  |  lakshmi 23/11/07
      60.   for lakshmi 15:17  |  infidel 23/11/07
      61.   btw lakshmi 15:37  |  infidel 23/11/07
      62.   60&61 Infidel,you are too obsessed with blood & iron,focus a 23:30  |  lakshmi 23/11/07
      63.   $3 Billion in new toys 04:40  |  Merchant Marine 24/11/07
      64.   #58, infidel goes idiotic... 06:24  |  Silvienne 24/11/07
      65.   #60,infidel really over the top, says Lakshmi started the war!!! 06:28  |  Silvienne 24/11/07
      66.   #59, lakshmi... 06:35  |  Silvienne 24/11/07
      67.   66Silvienne,greetings! yes,infidel`s condition borders on the 13:52  |  lakshmi 24/11/07
      68.   And you lakshmi you are too bloodthirsty. 14:18  |  infidel 24/11/07
      69.   Silvienne 16:02  |  infidel 24/11/07
      70.   lakshmi 16:16  |  infidel 24/11/07
      71.   Silvienne,re:post 69 I`ll leave it to you to reply,since the guy 17:06  |  lakshmi 24/11/07
      72.   yes it is true 03:20  |  David King 25/11/07
      73.   #69, infidel... 04:58  |  Silvienne 25/11/07
      74.   #71, lakshmi... 04:59  |  Silvienne 25/11/07
      75.   Silvienne last post on this thread ok ? ;-) 07:46  |  infidel 25/11/07
      76.   Silvienne again :-) 07:54  |  infidel 25/11/07
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