Israeli Cabinet Approves War Commission
Ryan R. Jones - All Headline News Middle East Correspondent Jerusalem, Israel (AHN) - Israel's cabinet Sunday overwhelmingly approved the formation of an official state commission of inquiry into the handling of this summer's Lebanon war. Though the panel, which will be chaired by retired Tel Aviv District Court judge Eliahu Winograd, was appointed entirely by the government, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced it will have the same authority as a full state commission of inquiry. But that wasn't enough for protestors who gathered outside the Prime Minster's Office in Jerusalem, demanding nothing short of an independent state-run commission. The protests are being led by the Movement for Quality Government and groups of Israel Defense Forces reserve soldiers angry over the political and military leaderships' mismanagement of the conflict with Hezbollah. In remarks carried by The Jerusalem Post, Minister-without-Portfolio Eitan Cabel, one of the few cabinet members to vote against the Winograd Commission, echoed the protestors concerns: "It's still a problem that we in the government are appointing a committee that is investigating ourselves." Indeed, according to Ha'aretz, the panel will be asked only to recommend improvements in the decision-making process during such crises, and not to investigate possible negligence or wrongdoing on the part of the political or military leadership. Attorney Eliad Shraga, chai |
