WHO WINS WITH THE WINOGRAD REPORT? ( Very good analysis, DS)

WINSTON MID EAST ANALYSIS & COMMENTARY  January 29, 2008  Email: gwinston@interaccess.com Please disseminate & re-post - with attribution. If you publish, send us a copy. Many of our articles appear on Websites at http://www.gamla.org.il/english &

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WHO WINS WITH THE WINOGRAD REPORT?

by Emanuel A. Winston, a Middle East Analyst & Commentator

Let's guess about the Winograd Report due to be released tomorrow and the circumstances surrounding it.

Clearly, in my opinion, Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert selected Eliyahu Winograd because he felt Winograd would go lightly and give Olmert the benefit of the doubt - even a "pass". Moreover, Winograd was expected to be malleable in under-the-table negotiations or "discussions".

I would assume that Winograd has been passing drafts of his report to Olmert, who is likely, given the chance, to change the language. Normally, investigative bodies conduct their work in secret and strict confidence. I do not believe that Winograd has done so and he, himself, should be investigated for collusion.

When he released a preliminary or interim report on April 30, 2007, he promised to release the complete report by August, 2007. Within the Interim Report were certain simple unavoidable facts which caused Defense Minister Amir Peretz and Chief of Staff Dan Halutz to tender their resignations. Whereas Olmert, like the slippery lawyer he has always been, decided to tough it out - even as the nation suffered.

Worse yet, Winograd had most of the facts within the first few weeks or months and could have released a comprehensive scathing report then. Instead, in collusion with Olmert and, very likely, Shimon Peres and Dov Weisglass, the report was put into cold storage until much later (tomorrow - January 30^th). A closer look would, no doubt, find the fingerprints of Bush, Rice and James Baker - using their influence to delay and/or skew the Report to keep Olmert in office so he could complete his "mission" of driving the Jews out of Judea, Samaria, the Golan Heights, the Jordan Valley and all those parts of Jerusalem which were occupied and desecrated by Jordan for 19 years from 1949 to 1967.

Winograd bent like a hollow straw and agreed not to include any recommendation for Olmert to resign. Still, Winograd had his reputation and legacy to think about so there will be sufficient information to cause the nation, Knesset and political parties to demand his resignation.

However, Olmert has already said he will not resign, no matter what the Winograd Report Conclusion say. Surely to pry him out of office will require the Shas Party to pull out of the Knesset and call for immediate elections. Add to that the equally corrupt current Defense Minister Ehud Barak who committed the Labor Party to leave office if Olmert were shown to be guilty according to the Winograd Report. (He already is issuing other, slippery statements that, perhaps he will not keep his word.)

IF ever there was a collection of incompetent criminals who belonged in a long term prison cell for what they have done to their nation and her people, it is this gang.

So, after the Winograd Report is issued, watch Olmert and his gang start the obfuscation - cover-up. In America there is a folksy saying about politicians covering up their do-do. We say, he was busier that a cat on a hot tin roof, covering up his scat.

Watch the Leftist Media go to work, softening the message so Olmert can complete his betrayal of the nation.

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