Mossad chief warned: Home front isn't ready

Mossad head Meir Dagan recommended after the abduction of two IDF soldiers in the North last July 12 that Israel delay its military response against Hezbollah. Dagan explained it would be advisable to take basic steps to better protect the home front from possible Katyusha rocket attacks before striking in Lebanon. The full story will appear in the Passover supplement in Haaretz Monday.

Dagan gave his recommendation during an urgent discussion in Defense Minister Amir Peretz's chambers on the day of the abduction. He believed a strike in Lebanon would trigger an escalation, which turned out to be the case. Shin Bet Chief Yuval Diskin and the Defense Ministry's chief official for diplomatic affairs, Amos Gilad, both concurred with that assessment.

The discussion with Peretz was one of several that day, and all led to the government's decision to retaliate with a massive bombardment. Among the first targets were Hezbollah's medium-range rockets, which were almost completely destroyed the following night. Hezbollah responded with repeated Katyusha barrages until the fighting's last day on August 14.

During the discussion, Dagan said Israel would be involved in a prolonged confrontation. "The risk of damage to home front targets is very high. In my opinion, we don't have to strike right away. We can prepare and plan. What's to lose by striking in two days' time?" he said.

Dagan added that "if that means we have to wait for a couple of hours, then I suggest we wait."

To the surprise of the officials at the meeting, Peretz headed for Jerusalem without receiving further details on Hezbollah's threat to the home front, and the fact the home front was ill-prepared for war. In the subsequent cabinet meeting that followed, Peretz did not relay the projected difficulty of exposing the North to a Katyusha onslaught. Therefore, the recommendation by Dagan as Mossad chief did not go up for discussion with the ministers.