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JERUSALEM - Ehud Olmert, Israel's care-worn Prime Minister, was coming under growing pressure to resign after media leaks that an inquiry committee into last year's Lebanon War would publish a damning report today.
The report was expected to blame the Prime Minister, his Defence Minister, Amir Peretz, and the former military commander, General Dan Halutz, for the failure to cut Hizbollah down to size or to bring home two soldiers whose abduction provoked the conflict. The committee, chaired by Eliahu Winograd, a retired judge, is said to have accused them of acting "hastily and injudiciously."
Olmert has been a lame duck ever since the war, which the vast majority of voters saw as a humiliation. Ofir Pines, a former minister, told Army radio: "I expect the Prime Minister and Defence Minister to stand up and take responsibility and resign."
Olmert is isolated in the line of fire. Halutz has already resigned. Peretz is expected to be ousted as Labour leader in party primaries next month. Informed sources said Olmert had no intention of quitting. He would try to persuade Israelis that he had made the right decisions.
They have steadfastly refused to be convinced. A poll in the Ma'ariv daily paper found only 2.3 per cent of voters supporting his premiership.
- INDEPENDENT
