Olmert: I have complete faith in IDF

Prime minister embraces army leaders after Winograd report holds IDF accountable for missed opportunity in Second Lebanon War, fails to comment on criticism directed at him

Roni Sofer |Published: 01.30.08 , 19:48

Olmert embraces army: After emerging relatively unscathed from the Winograd report into the Second Lebanon War, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert issued a statement Wednesday saying he had "complete faith in the IDF, in its commander, in its soldiers and in its abilities."

According to the prime minister, the Israeli army continues and will continue to train, improve, grow stronger and be prepared for any challenge and mission.

War Report

Winograd: Political, military leadership failed during war

Aviram Zino and Roni Sofer

2006 Lebanon campaign ended without victory, army did not provide effective response to Hizbullah rocket fire, inquiry commission head tells reporters. 'Olmert acted in what he thought was the interest of the State of Israel,' Winograd adds

Winograd: Political, military leadership failed during war

The Prime Minister's Office did not comment on the criticism directed at Olmert by the Winograd Commission members, but said that the prime minister viewed the final report "seriously", just like he viewed the interim report.

According to Olmert's associates, a series of discussions will be launched at by the government and by a ministerial committee in order to monitor the implementation of the report's recommendations.

Committee members submit report to Olmert (Photo: Avi Ohayon, GPO)

The Winograd Commission presented its complete report into the failures of the 2006 war to Prime Minister Olmert and Defense Minister Ehud Barak at 5 pm Wednesday, a year and a half after the Second Lebanon War and nine months after the publication of the interim report.

The committee chairman, retired Justice Eliyahu Winograd, arrived at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem to deliver the 500-page report to the prime minister and defense minister.

The committee later held a press conference at International Convention Center (ICC) in the capital, and Justice Winograd read out the main parts of the report.

The judge and the other four members of the governmental commission of inquiry - Law Professor Ruth Gavison, Political Science Professor Yehezkel Dror, Major-General (res.) Menachem Einan and Major-General (res.) Chaim Nadel – have listened to 75 witnesses and reviewed tens of thousands of documents since their appointment in September 2005.

The witnesses included decision makers, politicians, officer, government workers and public figures.