Last IDF Casualty Of Lebanon War - Israel Defense Forces Chief Halutz
By
Joel Leyden Jerusalem ---- January 17, 2007..... It was not a surprise. And there was no weeping in the streets as Israel Defense Forces Chief Dan Halutz handed in his resignation today. Halutz, a former and respected commander of the Israel Air Force, had been criticized by almost every political party for his mishandling of the Lebanon War. Most notably, for having sent troops into Lebanon in the first few days without food and water. Halutz speaking tonight at a Navy ceremony in Haifa stated that his decision to resign was based on "deep-rooted values, those of strong ethics, loyalty to the organization and integrity." "I served the army responsibly for over four decades, and this responsibility continued in the last few months. It is this responsibility that led me to announce my resignation." Israel Defense Minister Peretz praised Halutz as a soldier and a commander and stressed that the new chief of staff would be chosen without delay. "The chief of general staff has conducted the process necessary to transform the crisis of the Lebanon war into leverage for change." Peretz also took the opportunity to sent out a stern warning to Israel's enemies: "Do not misinterpret the chief of staff's resignation. Do not make the mistake of seeing this as a sign of weakness - it is a sign of our national strength." And it was nothing less than a sign of strength that the only democracy in the Middle-East has the foresight and ability to clean house. There are now at least three major players waiting to replace Halutz - IDF Deputy Chief of Staff Maj.-Gen. Moshe Kaplinsky, Defense Ministry Dir.-Gen. and former deputy chief of staff Maj.-Gen. (res.) Gabi Ashkenazi, and OC Ground Forces Command Maj.-Gen. Benny Gantz. Senior IDF officers said that Halutz's decision was made after he received information that he would take the fall in the results to be published in February by the Israel government-appointed Winograd Commission. The officers pointed to his remarks made two weeks ago that he planned to remain in the IDF, and said that his decision to resign indicated that "something extreme changed his mind." While the IDF Chief of Staff usually answers to the Israel Defense Minister; Lt.- Gen Dan Halutz sent his letter of resignation to Israel Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. The last action of his command was yet another symptom of all that had gone wrong in the relationship between the IDF high command and its political legislators. Halutz was appointed, not because the government thought that it would be a brilliant idea to have an air force commander in charge of the army, but because Ariel Sharon chose him. Sharon bypassed then-defense minister, the politically weak Shaul Mofaz, and appointed the general he believed would be most loyal to him and carry out the Gaza disengagement to the letter. Halutz's successor will have many urgent tasks to carry out in his first months of command. First, he will have to implement lessons drawn from the army's conduct during the war. Halutz has taken the first major step in that direction by setting up 40 teams that assessed the army's performance at all levels. Halutz's letter of resignation read as follows: "To Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Not long ago, I completed 40 years of service the IDF. All that time, I had the privilege of serving this country, my native country, in what I saw as the most important mission - protecting the peace. I fought in the IDF - with my fellow soldiers - in all arenas. Every time I was given a mission I did my best, out of a sense of dedication. I acted after considerations of morality, loyalty, honor, dependability, and comradeship. In my long term in the IDF, I had the privilege of commanding excellent people and saw the IDF, thanks to these same peoples' abilities, develop into one of the world's leading armies. For me, the word "responsibility" is very meaningful: it comes before everything - from A-Z, from training to probe. My perception of responsibility is what has led me to remain in my position until now, and lay this letter before you. On June 1, 2005, the day on which I was entrusted by the government, under Ariel Sharon, with the job of Chief of Staff, I accepted a great responsibility. The essence of this responsibility was the Lebanon war in summer 2006 and what followed. After the echoes of battle died away, I decided to exercise my responsibility in line with the highest tradition from home and the IDF. Therefore, I ordered an investigation into the war unprecedented in the IDF: an extensive, detailed probe that didn't exclude me. Today, after the investigation has been concluded, and decisions taken as to how to implement the lessons of the investigation in the IDF work plan for 2007, I am proud that I did what I promised to do after the Lebanon war and fulfilled my responsibility. I am convinced that the army will be ready for the challenges ahead. The probe opened my eyes to what needs to be done to fix the situation, and to maintain the areas in which we succeeded. One of the main things we learned was that the IDF is deeply influenced by long-term processes. Sometimes, this influence isn't felt, and we aren't aware of its ramifications. These processes have an effect on the Israeli society and on the army's ability in particular. Unfortunately, the state of Israel is destined to continue fighting for its existence. Our ability to secure victory in this drawn-out battle depends on our strength. This strength, at its roots, is built on values, on education, on a strong economy, and above all - on a strong IDF. The IDF's strength is built first and foremost on the quality of its people and then, on the resources allotted to it. We must remember that the IDF's successes in Lebanon and elsewhere were achieved by many numbers of regular army and reserve soldiers, ready to be called up at any time. The IDF's strength comes from the public's support. Unfortunately, this has waned in recent years. I believe, Mr. Prime Minister, that we must protect at all price the IDF's honor and tradition, and leave it out of political struggles. Human nature keeps people from serving where they are not valued and not protected by the people who send them [on missions]. We must ensure that we won't reach a situation in which good people will hesitate to ally themselves with the IDF. Not strong education, and not a strong economy will help us then, and the threat to the state of Israel would become more palpable. There is no army as moral as the IDF. Its history is decorated with the blood of our many sons and daughters who have fallen. Their memory will remain with me forever. I hope that we will be able to bring the kidnapped soldiers back quickly, the people who fell prisoner fighting for the country. I will always carry in my heart the meetings with the bereaved families, who even in these difficult times continue to support the IDF and encourage its commanders. I would like to thank the defense ministers under whom I've served, and my colleagues in the General Staff, who have been full partners in planning and execution. I offer special thanks to IDF soldiers and commanders in the regular army and in reserves, who have been partners in the daily burden. To you, sir, I would like to thank for your support and backing and wish you success in dealing with the complicated challenges before the nation and you, as prime minister. In order to lead, we have to fulfill our responsibilities. Therefore, now that I have finished my task, I inform you of my resignation, effective immediately. I salute the IDF and its soldiers. At your service always, Danny Halutz, Lt.-Gen." Just two weeks before resigning Halutz stated that he would not resign his post. General Halutz said Israel had badly damaged Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and killed “hundreds of terrorists.” But he said Israel was “not successful in reducing the short-range rocket fire on Israel’s north until the cease-fire,” which came after 34 days of fighting. Critics of General Halutz and of the Israel government of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert have said the military relied too heavily on air power and delayed too long sending in ground troops in the numbers needed to push back the Hezbollah fighters and supporters who were firing Katyusha rockets into Israel. Critics have also said that the military should be led by a ground forces commander — General Halutz spent his career in the air force — and that reserves were not called up in time, were badly trained and equipped, and often faced contradictory orders. “We attacked the Katyushas, but unsuccessfully,” General Halutz said. He said he would stay on “to correct what can be corrected,” and said to resign now would be “running away.” He said Mr. Olmert and Defense Minister Amir Peretz had not asked him to go. “I have not heard my superiors calling on me to resign,” he said. “If they do, I will respond.” He suggested that discipline had broken down to some degree. “There were cases in which officers did not carry out their assignments, and cases in which officers objected on moral grounds to their orders,” he said, an apparent reference to resistance against attacking southern Lebanese towns and villages. He said that those instances of refusal “ran counter to the army’s basic values” and that a senior officer was suspended as a result. Halutz
had many fine and honorable accomplishments. In 1993 he was promoted to Brigadier General and appointed as head of air group. In 1995 he was appointed as the head of air force headquarters. In 1998 he was promoted to Major General and in 1999 he was appointed as the head of the Operations Wing in the IDF General Staff. In 2000 Halutz was appointed as the Israeli Air Force commander. He led the IAF during the Al-Aqsa Intifada, during which he was recognized by experts and subordinates as an innovative and a charismatic leader. Halutz's main reforms in the Air Force were the tightening of cooperation with the ground forces and the Shin Bet, the massive employment of UAV drones, the upgrading of precision strike capabilities in helicopter gunships and jets and the sharp decrease of accidents and aerial failures. During Halutz's time, only a small number of accidents occurred, none of them lethal. Moreover, he held a record of a straight 2.5 years with a clean slate of no accidents at all. During his term, the IAF took part in several 'targeted killing' operations of Palestinian leaders. Halutz's resignation was expected. As an air warrior, he was among the finest in the world. But he never truly understood the importance of a ground war. Israel should now show its deep and sincere gratitude and honor Halutz for his many wise accomplishments which scanned 40 years of service to Israel . Today,
this tiny, democratic Jewish nation expects Israel Defense Minister Amir Peretz,
a man with little experience in leading security and defense organizations, to
resign and follow the brave example set by Halutz.
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