WINOGRAD COMMITTEE SLAMS EHUD BARAK

What a surprise for him too, I'm sure. The former prime minister has just gotten a very rude awakening:

(IsraelNN.com) The Winograd Committee has sharply criticized Defense Minister Ehud Barak, whose order for a hasty withdrawal from Lebanon when he was Prime Minister is cited as leaving a vacuum for Hizbullah to exploit, journalist Yoav Yitzchak reported on his Hebrew NFC website. Barak also is chairman of the Labor party, and a negative report on his policies may hinder his previously stated plan to quit the coalition after the report is issued.

Winograd Committee member Prof. Ruth Gabizon reportedly described a direct connection between the withdrawal in 2000 and the subsequent stockpiling of weapons by Hizbullah. The committee has said it will release its final report by the end of the year without laying blame on individuals for the failures of the government and military in the Second Lebanon War.

This is likely to be a blow to Barak's influence, and damage his reputation, deservedly so.