Last summer, Israel invaded southern Lebanon in response to Hezbollah's cross-border kidnapping of Israeli soldiers and the murder of others. I did a lot of posting about the war as it progressed. "Progress" is an inapt word to use, though, since the IDF contended not only with its Hezbollah enemy, but a ham-handed and militarily inexperienced political leadership in the persons of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Amir Peretz.

On Aug. 11, I wrote,

Ehud Olmert's days are numbered as prime minister. The slapdash, haphazard and wholly indecisive way he has handled the Hezbollah war has doomed his chances of remaining in office past the end of this year, probably before then and maybe very soon.

Well, obviously, PM Olmert is still in office, so I mis-predicted (I've just invented a Bushism!) Olmert's demise. But maybe only as a matter of time rather than fact.

JERUSALEM (AP) - A government commission that probed Israel's summer war against Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon accused Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Monday of "severe failure," saying he hastily led the country into the conflict without a comprehensive plan.

A copy of the report obtained by The Associated Press cited a "severe failure in the lack of judgment, responsibility and caution." ...

According to TV reports confirmed by Israeli officials, the commission appointed by Olmert and chaired by a retired judge, Eliyahu Winograd, aims withering criticism at Olmert and Peretz over their decision- making, inexperience and failure to question plans presented by the military. ...

The Winograd panel does not have the authority to fire officials, but the scathing report could ignite public protests and demonstrations, coupled with political infighting, that could force the resignation of Olmert and Peretz. Noisy public demonstrations were expected to back demands that they step down.

Already Sunday, a demand their for resignations came from Labor Party lawmaker Ofir Pines-Paz, who is challenging Peretz for party leadership in a May primary election.

"They should follow the example of Halutz, who did not wait for the Winograd commission to show him the door," he said.

Opposition lawmakers from the dovish Meretz as well as the hard-line National Religious Party also called for the government to step down.

Stay tuned.

Update: Reuters: "Israeli media predicts Olmert resignation."