Lebanon ceasefire under threat, UN warns

As anger grows throughout Israel over the handling of the war with Hizbullah, Ehud Olmert appears to be considering a whitewash rather than allowing a state commission of inquiry to investigate the government and defence establishment's handling of the war.

Olmert is said to be weighing the concept of a governmental panel of inquiry, whose make-up would be determined by the cabinet and which would report directly to the cabinet. Publication of any of the findings would be entirely at the discretion of the cabinet ministers themselves.

The findings of a state inquiry would be made public, with the exception of formally classified military data.

On Monday, one of the petitions, already signed by hundreds of soldiers, received wide exposure in the press. "The 'cold feet' of the decision-makers were evident everywhere," said the petition, signed by members of the reserve Spearhead Brigade. "To us the indecisiveness expressed deep disrespect for our willingness to join the ranks and fight and made us feel as though we had been spat at, since it contradicts the principles and values of warfare upon which we were trained at the Israel Defense Forces.

"The heavy feeling is that in the echelons above us there is nothing but under-preparation, insincerity, lack of foresight and inability to make rational decisions leads to the question - were we called up for nothing?"

Olmert is said privately to be against a state enquiry into the conduct of the war and has asked Attorney General Menachem Mazuz to present a list of alternatives to such an inquiry.

The pressure is building on Olmert as the outgoing Chief Infantry and Paratroopers Officer of the Israel Defence Forces, Brigadier General Yossi Heiman, has accused the Israeli establishment of "arrogance" in the way it conducted the war.

Heiman said that "despite heroic fighting by the soldiers and commanders, especially at the company and battalion level, we all feel a certain sense of failure and missed opportunity ... At times, we were guilty of the sin of arrogance. Everyone tells about his mission, but not what he didn't do and where he went wrong."

He added: "I feel the weighty responsibility on my shoulders. I failed to prepare the infantry better for war. I did not manage to prevent burnout among professional companies and platoons. I feel no relief whatsoever in the face of the array of excuses ... At this time, it is not easy being part of the system. Part of the public, and perhaps also parts of the leadership, is expressing lack of faith in us."

With this level of condemnation ringing in his ears it is perhaps easier to understand Israel's strange violation of the cease-fire over the weekend, which Israel claimed was an attempt to stop Hizbullah re-supplying themselves with new weapons and ammunition , but most of us think was really an attempt to kidnap a high profile Hizbullah figure in order to aid in the negotiation for the release of Israel's soldiers currently being held by Hizbullah.

Israel's actions over the weekend have been thoroughly condemned by the UN, with Terje Roed-Larsen, Mr Annan's Middle East trouble-shooter, warning that such actions could endanger the entire cease-fire from holding.

"Things very easily can slide out of control. This is why it is so important that all parties concerned exercise utmost restraint in order to give the Lebanese Army the possibility of deploying along all borders of Lebanon, and also to allow the international community to provide troops."

Mark Regev, the Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman, turned the charge of violating the cease-fire back on Hizbollah and its allies. "According to Resolution 1701," he argued, "they are forbidden to rearm. Arms transfers from Syria to Hizbollah are a grave violation of the resolution. That is the breach, and Israel was responding to that."

Of course, Mr Regev is ignoring the fact that it is not for Israel to state when a partner to a cease-fire is in breach of that cease-fire, this is a matter for the UN itself as the cease-fire was negotiated through the UN.

Israel continues to imply that it will do what it likes when it likes. This does not bode well for peace in the region. Olmert has his back firmly against a wall with the Israeli public - and some members of the military - openly questioning his judgement. The raid over the weekend was an attempt to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

The worry is that, with calls for a state commission of inquiry growing, Olmert might be tempted to try more of these face saving missions. Olmert would do well to listen to Yossi Heiman's charge of "arrogance" and make sure that his future actions don't prove Heiman correct for a second time.

The raid over the weekend smacked of arrogance, a belief that Israel can do as she pleases and that no-one will stop them.

The cease-fire is creaking. Olmert wants to be really careful not to find himself back in another war, as he's already proved that war is not his strong point.

Click title for full article.

Tags: Israel, Lebanon, UN, ceasefire, Hizbullah, breach