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TheosCentric -> RE: Israel in the News (5/11/2007 7:50:11 AM)
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Bombing of civilians extended war, Olmert told panel
JERUSALEM — In confidential testimony on last summer's war with the Lebanese militia Hezbollah, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that the Israeli killing of a group of civilians in Qana in late July was a turning point that delayed a diplomatic resolution.
"The fact is, if Qana hadn't happened, there is good reason to believe that we would have been in a very good position to complete the process," he said in testimony released after editing for security purposes.
The Qana bombing occurred when Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was in Israel trying to secure a cease-fire.
Olmert, who testified earlier this year, was responding to questions from the Winograd Commission, which is investigating the war. His testimony was made public Thursday.
The testimony, given in confidence without lawyers present, was made public after the Israeli Supreme Court ruled it should be, and was redacted by the military censor.
In his testimony, Olmert said, "I really feel that I can talk to you about everything, and I know what I say won't leave this room."
Still, few revelations were made after the first part of the commission report, dealing with the early days of the war, was published on April 30.
Olmert said that the army told him in March 2006 that it was fully prepared for war in the north and that a potential conflict with Hezbollah had been one of his priorities.
Wait a minute! They were preparing for war in the north in March?!? The war didn't happen until July.
Hmm...seems as if they expected (planned) to go to war anyway. Sounds like another war.
He said he had also had a report from the security services that training was lax given budgetary problems, but he had relied on the army's claim to be ready.
He said he knew from the first report on July 12 that two Israeli soldiers had been captured by Hezbollah that he had to act forcefully, even knowing that Hezbollah would rocket Israeli towns in the north.
"If we hadn't attacked that evening, we wouldn't have attacked, full stop," he said.
No, he finally had an excuse to attack. Kind of reminds of Sharon in 1982. Although, I don't think he had an excuse to attack, other than his hatred of the Palestinians and Arafat.
He insisted that foreign minister, Tzipi Livni, who had complained of being left out of critical decisions, had been a partner to all diplomatic discussions.
In Qana, the Israelis said, they were responding to rocket fire. Qana has symbolic importance because Israeli shells killed many civilians there 10 years before in a similar incident. The new deaths created a furor, and Prime Minister Fouad Siniora of Lebanon asked Rice to cancel her trip to Beirut.
I thought Qana was supposedly a setup by the Arabs. You mean, Olmert is admitting to shelling the town?
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