AMIR PERETZ BLAMES PREDECESSORS FOR WAR'S FAILURE

Because he was cited as being part of the problem in the Winograd report, Amir Peretz has now given a press conference in which he says that his predecessors in the defense ministry are responsible for the failure of the 2nd Lebanon war:

Peretz stated that his predecessors should have been held accountable for much of the failings revealed in the war, pointing the finger particularly at former Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz and former Defense Minister and current Labor Chairman Ehud Barak.

"There are tough questions regarding the six years prior to the war. This needs to be investigated further. Mofaz remained silent and did not alert about the failings (during his term in office). I have paid a heavy political price for years of failed policy.

"These questions should be presented to those who stated that the IDF needs to be a small and clever army, and thus jumpstarted the dynamics that led us to this catastrophe; and to those who decided that Israel could withdraw from Lebanon without an agreement, while abandoning our Christian allies and creating a vacuum that drew Hizbullah in."

Well, I'm glad he's pointing out that his two predecessors also have blame to shoulder. Because even Mofaz and Barak cannot be allowed to escape blame for their own negligence.