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Olmert cannot remain in the Prime Minister's office
Haaretz ^ | August 11, 2006 | Ari Shavit

Posted on 08/11/2006 7:03:29 AM PDT by Allan

Ehud Olmert may decide to accept the French proposal for a cease-fire and unconditional surrender to Hezbollah.

That is his privilege.

Olmert is a prime minister whom journalists invented, journalists protected, and whose rule journalists preserved.

Now the journalists are saying run away. That's legitimate. Unwise, but legitimate.

However, one thing should be clear: If Olmert runs away now from the war he initiated, he will not be able to remain prime minister for even one more day.

******

You cannot lead an entire nation to war promising victory, produce humiliating defeat and remain in power.

You cannot bury 120 Israelis in cemeteries, keep a million Israelis in shelters for a month, wear down deterrent power, bring the next war very close, and then say - oops, I made a mistake. That was not the intention. Pass me a cigar, please.

There is no mistake Ehud Olmert did not make this past month. He went to war hastily, without properly gauging the outcome. He blindly followed the military without asking the necessary questions.

He mistakenly gambled on air operations, was strangely late with the ground operation, and failed to implement the army's original plan, much more daring and sophisticated than that which was implemented.

And after arrogantly and hastily bursting into war, Olmert managed it hesitantly, unfocused and limp.

**************

But in blinking first over the past 24 hours, he has become an incorrigible political personality.

Therefore, the day Nasrallah comes out of his bunker and declares victory to the whole world, Olmert must not be in the prime minister's office.

Post-war battered and bleeding Israel needs a new start and a new leader. It needs a real prime minister.

(Excerpt) Read more at haaretz.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 2006israelwar; antiolmertwhiner; guessagain; hezbollah; israel; lebanon; netanyahualiar; olmert; partyfirstcountry2nd
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1 posted on 08/11/2006 7:03:30 AM PDT by Allan
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To: Allan
I hope Netanyahu fills this inevitable vacuum. Olmert started with such bravado now he looks weak and indecisive. Very sad.
2 posted on 08/11/2006 7:04:54 AM PDT by slowhand520
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To: Allan

You get the sense that if BB had been in charge this would have ended inside a week. Olmert is toast.


3 posted on 08/11/2006 7:05:44 AM PDT by saganite (Billions and billions and billions-------and that's just the NASA budget!)
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To: Allan

i sadly agree. olmert jumped the shark yesterday.


4 posted on 08/11/2006 7:08:36 AM PDT by chilepepper (The map is not the territory -- Alfred Korzybski)
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To: saganite

I don't blame Olmert for being a weenie. It's in his nature to be more a Chamberlain than a Churchill. Some people rise to the ocasion, some do not. To paraphrase Shakespeare, "some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them". Unfortunately, many who have it thrust upon them cannot handle the weight, and collapse under it. Olmert appears to be just such a delicate flower.

Let's hope Bibi's time is now. Israel needs a PM that is more "Winnie" and less "Weenie".


5 posted on 08/11/2006 7:10:02 AM PDT by Sans-Culotte (I hereby re-christen the Republican Party as "The Flaccid Party")
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To: Allan
"He blindly followed the military without asking the necessary questions."

This author does not know what he is talking about. If Olmert authorized and followed the military plan that has been on the shelf for three years the whole operation would have lasted three days and 90 % of the hezbos would have been destroyed.

6 posted on 08/11/2006 7:15:25 AM PDT by mosaicwolf
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To: Allan

"He blindly followed the military without asking the necessary questions.

He mistakenly gambled on air operations, was strangely late with the ground operation, and failed to implement the army's original plan,"

It seems this author want to have it both ways.

How do you 'blindly follow the military' and yet 'fail to implement the army's original plan'.

Seems a bit contradictory to me.


7 posted on 08/11/2006 7:15:45 AM PDT by Bigh4u2 (Denial is the first requirement to be a liberal)
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To: mosaicwolf

Beat me by mere seconds.

:)


8 posted on 08/11/2006 7:16:46 AM PDT by Bigh4u2 (Denial is the first requirement to be a liberal)
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To: Allan

I find what is going on in Israel very disturbing. I am hoping that we are not being given all the facts. What is the difference in Israel retreating leaving Hezbollah to declare victory and our pulling out of Iraq leaving the terrorists to declare victory? I hate war and don't want to see any more Americans or Israelis killed but this is the price of freedom. If Israel quits it looks like they surrendered. I don't get why France and the US are dictating what is going on in the Middle East war. I hope that the truth lies in bad reporting which prevents us from knowing what is going on.


9 posted on 08/11/2006 7:17:58 AM PDT by Merry
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To: saganite
I knew from the beginning of the conflict that Olmert was a weak leader, in the form of Jimmy Carter.

If either Sharon or Bibi was the Prime Minister, like you said, they would have ordered overwhelming force to end the uprising by Hezbollah.

I'm guessing that this was a power move by Hezbollah and they seemed to guess correctly that the time was ripe to start a new war. They certainly didn't dare to do this while Sharon "the Butcher" was still leading Israel.

10 posted on 08/11/2006 7:18:29 AM PDT by MinorityRepublican (Everyone that doesn't like what America and President Bush has done for Iraq can all go to HELL)
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To: Allan
I agree with Ari Shavit. I thought I would hear this from Nadav Shragai but Israel does not deserve a man as feckless as Ehud Olmert at the head of its government.

(Go Israel, Go! Slap 'Em Down Hezbullies.)

11 posted on 08/11/2006 7:20:35 AM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
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To: Allan

Does anyone think that the approach of August 22nd might have something to do with this?

Mr. A's favorite date....and Israel may have found out that Iran has something on the back burner for them.

Hezbollah may be the least of their worries right now.


12 posted on 08/11/2006 7:22:51 AM PDT by bordergal (John)
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To: Allan

I just hope that Olmert gets bounced before Israel agrees to any ceasefire. The damage that a schism in the Israeli solidarity would be far less damaging than that ceasefire at this time.


13 posted on 08/11/2006 7:23:24 AM PDT by Prysson
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To: Allan

Hezbollah has had the good fortune of having two sniveling weenies to push around, Barak and Olmert. What in the world were the Israelis thinking? To snatch defeat from the jaws of victory now is incredibly stupid and a total waste of the lives of some brave young Israeli fighters. Shame on the US State Dept. if we have pressured Israel to cave to the French, and shame on them for not saying, "Drop dead!" to the Quislings in D.C.


14 posted on 08/11/2006 7:23:42 AM PDT by kittymyrib
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To: mosaicwolf

I trust Israel to do what she needs to do. It sounds like they may not have realized how strong hezbollah had grown. Also the fact that Israel is asking to speed up arms shipments makes me wonder if Israel needs the time to regroup and rearm.

If this ceasefire happens, the Israelis know that it's only going to hold for a while but when they go back to fighting it will be full bore.


15 posted on 08/11/2006 7:24:10 AM PDT by cripplecreek (If stupidity got us into this mess, then why can't it get us out?)
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To: Merry
I don't get why France and the US are dictating what is going on in the Middle East war

Because Ohmert needs a way out and a UN cease fire gives him cover to end the war. This is real bad, the terrorists win one, they will be emboldened. Many will suffer and die because Ohmert was not up to the task.

schu
16 posted on 08/11/2006 7:24:44 AM PDT by schu
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To: Allan
Olmert managed it hesitantly, unfocused and limp.

Nothing a little Viagra wont' cure...
17 posted on 08/11/2006 7:25:58 AM PDT by ChocChipCookie (Democrats: soulless minions of orthodoxy.)
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To: slowhand520

Olmert could always emigrate to a blue state and get elected to the US Senate.


18 posted on 08/11/2006 7:26:16 AM PDT by AdvisorB (For a terrorist bodycount in hamistan, let the smoke clear then count the ears and divide by 2.)
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bookmark


19 posted on 08/11/2006 7:27:28 AM PDT by Eurotwit (WI)
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To: schu

We hve a similarly indecisive wannabe in the wings named Hilary Clinton. If you want those on again off again retreating and advancing troops to be ours, vote for her.


20 posted on 08/11/2006 7:29:20 AM PDT by ClaireSolt (.)
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