Olmert presses Winograd for explanations

After the Winograd Commission's refusal to allow Prime Minister Ehud Olmert access to all of the evidence it collected during its investigation of last summer's war, Olmert's lawyers have demanded the commission explains its stance.

The Supreme Court of Justice is set to rule on a petition by the Military Defense Attorney that the commission releases all evidence collected during its probe of the handling of last summer's war. The petition also demands that soldiers and officers who are likely to be harmed by the commission's findings be protected.

Olmert's lawyers do not plan to petition the High Court but have pressed the commission to supply clear explanations for its decision to keep the prime minister in the dark about some of its findings.

They argued that the prime minister was entitled to have access to the testimonies and findings that faulted his handling of the war.