"A year ago Sharon appointed a new Chief of Staff. Two candidates competed for the job. A ground forces commander who served as C.O. of the North - and a former airforce commander. Everyone expected the ground forces commander to get the job.

Sharon chose the airforce commander.

Never before did a commander of the air force serve as Chief of IDF. This guy (Dan Halutz) is an arrogant character who considers himself a military genius. He concluded from the US victory over Miloshevitz - achieved by "smart bombs" fired from aircraft at a distance, that all future wars will be won by this technique. So he ignored the infantry.

Olmert (unlike Sharon and Rabin) has no military experience. He told Halutz - destroy all Hizballah rocket launchers, and hit their living quarters in Beirut. After 24 hours bombing - when the IDF airforce destroyed some long range missile launchers, Halutz tells Olmert: "The war is over, we've won".

Next day - and for another 32 days - a regular rain of 150 rockets falls daily on the north of Israel paralyzing the entire region. Where do they come from? .. from caves that have been fitted out as bunkers, hidden by the vegetation, rocks, hills.

Halutzx keeps bombing Beirut but the Hizballah short range rocket launchers are close to the Israeli border, sometimes 200 yards away, so the rockets keep falling. Halutz has no idea what to do. He asks the C.O. of the north who says - we must enter with infantry and armor. But both have been neglected for a year owing to the belief that future wars will be won by airforce alone. So when they finally enter Lebanon the logistics are a disaster. No food for soldiiers. No ammunition for tanks. etc.

The tanks lack defence against modern anti-tank missiles because of budget cuts and get hit like sitting ducks. Halutz order the CO of the north: "Conquer Bint-Jebayel !"

The CO replies (all leaked to the press...) "Please define 'Conquer' Bin-Jebayel has 5000 houses, do you want me to enter every house and kill the inhabitants? ". No reply from Halutz.

Instead Halutz sends his deputy, a ground force commander to the north 'to oversee'.

The new guy accepts the view of the guy he has to oversee...

Hisballah is not an army but an underground, like the Haganah, Stern gang or the Irgun. The old timers laugh their head off wishing the RAF were sent to bomb T-A to get them. Peres said to the press : "you can't chase a teenager wearing plimsolls, with an F-16".

But that's exactly what Halutz tried to do.

No wonder Israel got a bloody nose. Now thousands of reservists who served in Lebanon demonstrate non-stop in Jerusalem opposite Olmert's offices with signs saying "Olmert-Peretz-Halutz go home immediately" Most Israelis agree.

I think Olmert will sacrifice Halutz to save himself. Meanwhile Olmert refused to set up a Parliamentary enquiry committee (which can fire him) but set up two "Expert" committees (which can only advise) to investigate all charges.