Deposed Chief Of-General Staff Won’t Fall On The Grenade

Former Israeli army chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz, who stepped down from his post amid unrelenting criticism of his role in conducting the war in Lebanon this past summer, apparently has no plans to play the good soldier any longer. Rather than take the flak for the politicians, Halutz is reportedly planning to tell the commission of inquiry looking into the conduct of the war that the politicians micromanaged the conflict down to the most minute details. There is growing speculation in the Israeli media that based on conversations with those who have already testified before the Winograd Commission, the final report – due out early next month – will have devastating consequences for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister Amir Peretz and accordingly, for the existing government.