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Justice (ret.) Eliyahu Winograd delivering the final report on the Second Lebanon War to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Wednesday. (GPO)
Last update - 22:01 30/01/2008
Winograd: Final ground op 'did not achieve military goals', but approving it was essential step
By Haaretz Service and Reuters
Tags: Winograd report, Ehud Olmert 

The Winograd Committee released its final report on the Second Lebanon War on Wednesday, saying the decision in principle to launch a major ground offensive in the waning hours of the 2006 war was essential, despite the fact that the offensive failed to achieve any military objectives.

The committee called the war, which Israel launched against Hezbollah on July 12, 2006 after the militant group abducted two Israel Defense Forces soldiers and killed three others, a "major missed opportunity."

"Israel embarked on a prolonged war that it initiated, which ended without a clear Israeli victory from a military standpoint," Justice (ret.) Eliyahu Winograd told a press conference in Jerusalem.
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"A paramilitary organization withstood the strongest army in the Middle East for weeks," he said.

"Hezbollah rocket fire on the Israeli home front continued throughout the war, and the IDF failed to provide an effective response," he continued. "Daily life was disrupted, residents left their homes and entered bomb shelters."

"These results have far-reaching consequences for us and our enemies," he continued.

Winograd assailed the final, large-scale ground operation launched in the final 60 hours of the war in which dozens of IDF soldiers were killed, saying it "did not achieve any military objectives nor did it fulfill its potential."

"The ground operation did not reduce the Katyusha fire nor did it achieve significant accomplishments, and its role in accelerating or improving the political settlement is unclear," said Winograd. "Also unclear is how it affected the Lebanese government and Hezbollah regarding the cease-fire."

"The manner in which the ground operation was conducted raises the most difficult of questions," he continued.

However, the panel found that the decisions that motivated the political echelons to approve the offensive were acceptable.

"The decision in principle of the security cabinet on August 9to approve the IDF's recommendation for a ground offensive, subject to the diplomatic time-table, was a practically essential decision," said Winograd. "It provided Israel with necessary diplomatic flexibility."

"The decision to actually launch the ground operation was within the framework of decision-makers' political and professional judgment based on the information they had available," the retired justice continued. "The objectives of the military push were legitimate and were not confined solely to accelerating or improving a political settlement."

"There was no failure in the decision itself, despite the limited accomplishments and painful price," he said, referring to the 33 IDF soldiers killed in the offensive.

"We are persuaded that both the prime minister and the defense minister operated out of a strong and honest assessment and understanding of what, to them, was seen as necessary for Israel's interests," he continued.

'Grave faults' in decision-making process

The panel nonetheless "found grave faults and failings in the decision-making process and the preparatory work both in the political and military levels and the interaction between them," Winograd said.

"We found grave faults and failings in the senior military command echelon, particularly in the ground forces, the quality of preparedness and readiness of the forces, and of the execution of orders," he said.

"We found grave faults and failings both in the political and military echelons in the lack of thinking and strategic planning," he continued. "And we found grave faults and failings in everything concerning the defense of the civilian population and the challenges presented by the blows it suffered."

"Though it was a war of our own initiative and waged in a defined territory, Israel did not use its military power wisely or effectively," he said.

'Israel went to war without discussing alternatives, objectives'

"The failures began long before the Second Lebanon War," said Winograd. "Ambitious goals were chosen for the war, after which Israel was left with only two main alternatives - the first was a short, severe strike [on Hezbollah], the second was to fundamentally alter the reality in southern Lebanon through a wide-scale ground operation."

"The manner in which the original decision to go to war was made, without discussing the alternatives, and the manner in which Israel embarked on the war prior to determining which of the alternatives it had chosen, or an exit strategy - these were severe failures that impacted the entire war, which were contributed to by both the political and the military echelon," said Winograd.

"The indecisiveness continued into the war itself," the retired justice continued. "There was no proper discussion or decision on the war's objectives for several weeks."

"There was also a serious delay in preparing for a wide-scale ground operation, reducing Israel's options," he said.

"The result was that Israel did not make do with maximizing immediate military achievements, but rather was dragged into a ground offensive only after a cease-fire [decision] made it impossible to effectively fulfill its potential. Both top military and political leaders are responsible for this."

The committee handed Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, and the IDF copies of the 500-page report, shortly before the press conference in which the panel presented the report's primary conclusions.

The first, partial Winograd report was released in April 2007 and focused on the opening days of the war. The report found that Olmert and the government had displayed poor decision-making skills and lack of judgment.

It said that, "The decision to respond [to the cross-border attack] with an immediate, intensive military strike was not based on a detailed, comprehensive and authorized military plan..." and that "The primary responsibility for these serious failings rests with the Prime Minister, the [then] minister of defense [Amir Peretz] and the (outgoing) Chief of Staff."

Related articles:
  • Winograd partial report on the Second Lebanon War
  • PMO: War report backs decision to launch final IDF ground op
  • PM works to pre-empt Labor revolt ahead of Winograd report
  • IDF worried Lebanon war probe report will damage its image
  • Reservists urging PM ouster drop focus on last 60 hours of Lebanon war
  • Reserves drafted for 'Operation Winograd'
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      1.   Well, Olmert`s off the hook 17:57  |  sh 30/01/08
      2.   We won? 18:02  |  Esther 30/01/08
      3.   Fault the US State Dept which`s made IDF as klutzy as US Army is 18:02  |  Absolute Sweden 30/01/08
      4.   Act first, think later 18:03  |  Mark Lincoln 30/01/08
      5.   bush 18:08  |  greg 30/01/08
      6.   How many parties..... how many Gifts.... 18:26  |  Dagma 30/01/08
      7.   It was a disaster and we lost all credibility 18:29  |  Simon 30/01/08
      8.   Back to starving children 18:30  |  Esther 30/01/08
      9.   Situation then sounds like current situation in the south... 18:35  |  bat yam 30/01/08
      10.   Hizballah 18:38  |  Danny 30/01/08
      11.   #1 - paid for by the PMO ? 18:39  |  redmike 30/01/08
      12.   In Summery: Parve 18:39  |  Mark 30/01/08
      13.   winograd commitee 18:46  |  ljf-canada 30/01/08
      14.   Whitewash 18:50  |  MES 30/01/08
      15.   It was a justifiable failure? 18:52  |  Paul Freedman 30/01/08
      16.   Israel failed at all levels, including Winograd 18:52  |  Roi 30/01/08
      17.   Yes and No Sh #1 19:00  |  Tzfonit 30/01/08
      18.   CHANNEL 10 POOR VIEWING . 19:01  |  Dangalil 30/01/08
      19.   #4 - Danny 19:03  |  MichaelF 30/01/08
      20.   The biggest damage: strength of hizbullah 19:06  |  Lebanese_p 30/01/08
      21.   Danny from Hizballah (#4) A Comic Relief 19:06  |  Gil 30/01/08
      22.   Olmert & his spin... 19:06  |  common sense 30/01/08
      23.   Danny Hizballah (#4) A Comic Relief 19:07  |  Gil 30/01/08
      24.   Winograd 19:11  |  Hank 30/01/08
      25.   Israel`s war weariness: How to cure it. 19:17  |  JI aka Yussef Gideon 30/01/08
      26.   Tzfonit 19:30  |  sh 30/01/08
      27.   Israel`s Only Error: Placating Whingers 19:34  |  Chopper X 30/01/08
      28.   Olmert`s main failing... 19:42  |  Esther 30/01/08
      29.   Fakes #2 and #8 !! 19:47  |  Esther 30/01/08
      30.   IDF is expert is assisting criminal settlers and ... 19:53  |  Dutch Dirk 30/01/08
      31.   many more missed opportunities 19:59  |  pal 30/01/08
      32.   Winograd report 20:18  |  David Gershon 30/01/08
      33.   Winograd = Total Betrayal 20:24  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 30/01/08
      34.   chutzpah 20:26  |  dan 30/01/08
      35.   I can not believe that it takes a report to realize... 20:37  |  Avi 30/01/08
      36.   Israel has always Won wars in Mid-east 20:50  |  James Mosely 30/01/08
      37.   Your right Absolute Sweeden... 20:51  |  Avi 30/01/08
      38.   winograd commitee never menchon 20:52  |  Dav 30/01/08
      39.   WestPoint magazine 20:58  |  Salty 30/01/08
      40.   `A war that Israel initiated` 20:58  |  Michael 30/01/08
      41.   Israeli`s criticizing israeli`s... this is blowing the minds of 20:59  |  Avi 30/01/08
      42.   Why does everybody still argue about Lebanon 2006... 20:59  |  bat yam 30/01/08
      43.   Dirty double Dutch 21:01  |  Avi 30/01/08
      44.   What could have been done to achieve the failed objective? 21:05  |  Avi 30/01/08
      45.   It is currently the Olmert Teams fault however 21:09  |  Avi 30/01/08
      46.   what if they get their state but keep rocketing Israel 21:15  |  jewish doctor 30/01/08
      47.   HELL HAS FROZEN OVER! : It is SNOWING in Israel! 21:16  |  OH NO! 30/01/08
      48.   # 30 Dutch Dirk 21:28  |  Reemster 30/01/08
      49.   Why democracies win in the long run 21:28  |  Danite 30/01/08
      50.   Tzfonit 21:32  |  Danite 30/01/08
      51.   good advise 21:44  |  hizbollah 30/01/08
      52.   The president of the commission... 21:51  |  Edith 30/01/08
      53.   pal # 31 i see your in this forum whining about the civillian 22:12  |  terrornator 30/01/08
      54.   No relativism please 22:17  |  Michael N 30/01/08
      55.   # 49 Danite, autocracies are ALWAYS winning... 22:18  |  Uri 30/01/08
      56.   One great achievement the report did not mention... 22:18  |  northern neighbor 30/01/08
      57.   Is IDF losing its ability for NCO initiative??? 22:21  |  Voice of Reason 30/01/08
      58.   It`s snowing in Jerusalem in more ways than one. 22:31  |  disgusted 30/01/08
      59.   Winagrad nothing changes 22:36  |  m 30/01/08
      60.   Danite #50 I am not so sure 22:51  |  Tzfonit 30/01/08
      61.   Going to war was the right decision, electing Olmert was not 22:51  |  Gili 30/01/08
      62.   Peretz: unwise, ineffective 22:53  |  jewish doctor 30/01/08
      63.   Failure to achieve military goals = defeat 23:19  |  Azohun Vei 30/01/08
      64.   The Failures Started At The Top Olmert Needs To Resign NOW 23:21  |  Shepherd 30/01/08
      65.   #3 Absolute Sweden 23:22  |  Jim 30/01/08
      66.   # 52 I made choice why dont you 23:23  |  pal 30/01/08
      67.   what Winograd leaves out 23:33  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 30/01/08
      68.   Winograd did criticize last operation 23:58  |  Dr. Aaron Lerner