What the Winograd Report Means for America

Bravo to the Israeli government for its willingness to appoint a commission to investigate its handling of the Lebanon war last summer.

Bravo to the Winograd Commission report for its unflinching criticism of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's failures in that regard.

In a testament to the vitality of Israeli democracy, Winograd's report begins by declaring that "no-one underestimates the need to study what happened." In blaming Olmert and his government for the disaster--basically, failing to neutralize Hizballah or prevent the Lebanese group from unleashing a torrent of missile attacks on Israeli cities--the commission accused Olmert of being a serial screwup.

It said that the Prime Minister set "over-ambitious" goals that were "not feasible" based on assumptions that were "not realistic" and "did not adapt his plans once it became clear that the...expectations...were not materializing." Olmert acted "hastily," without asking for a "detailed military plan," without "close study of the complex features" of waging war in Lebanon, or examining "the military, political and diplomatic options available to Israel." Olmert took the country to war "without systematic consultation with others, especially outside the IDF" (Israel's defense establishment). "All of these add up," the commission said, "to a serious failure in exercising judgement, responsibility and prudence." To his credit, Olmert responded by saying, "Failures will be remedied."

It is hard to avoid noticing that as Winograd released his withering report holding Olmert accountable for the war in Lebanon, we Americans were marking the fourth anniversary of our own leader's "Mission Accomplished" boast about the war in Iraq. Will Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld et al e ever be subjected to an American Winograd commission?

Of course, that's hard to do while Bush remains an active commander in chief in a war that goes on and on. Recently we've had some soft versions of a review of the Administration's performance, in the form of the Iraq Study Group, the Pentagon inspector general's report and various congressional hearings. There's also been a good deal of illuminating journalistic work drawing on the public and private views of government insiders (see, for example, the impressive overview by Mark Danner in The New York Review of Books). The November congressional elections represented a kind of report card from the American people on Bush's handling of the war.

But a comprehensive investigation of the Iraq war by a panel of American wise men and women may be essential for a variety of good reasons, partisan politics not being among them.

First, in this war of immense historical magnitude given the explosive strategic and cultural sensitivities of the region, we need a full accounting of why the U.S. invaded Iraq and has remained there for more than four years. Unfortunately, many Americans remain dangerously misinformed or uninformed about various aspects of the war. A September 2006 poll showed that one in three Americans believed that Saddam Hussein was behind the 9/11 attacks. A functioning democracy requires an informed citizenry.

Second, we need to know who made mistakes and why. Whatever hopes the Bush administration still clings to, it is evident that Bush's expectations have not materialized. The war has cost far more in American blood and treasure than was imagined. Iraqis are not better off and Iraq is a far greater menace to the world than it was before. As I blogged recently, by some accounts there have been about 700 suicide bombings in Iraq since 2003, a wild spread of a terrorist virus that could now further infect the Middle East and the rest of the world.

Third, we need a transparent accounting of the mistakes in order to restore the critically damaged credibility of our government at home and abroad.

Finally, because the Middle East is dangerously ripe, in part thanks to the Iraq mess, for further conflicts that will affect U.S. interests, Americans need to know that their government henceforth will exercise judgement, responsibility and prudence.

--by Scott MacLeod/Cairo