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Olmert OKs limited probe into Lebanon war

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JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Monday rejected an independent commission to investigate his government's handling of the war against Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.

Instead, Olmert said he would appoint his own committee, which is expected to be more narrow in scope than a state probe.

"I am not going to allow the army to be a whipping boy, nor am I ... simply to satisfy some Tom, Dick or Harry," he said in a speech in Haifa, a northern Israeli city hit hard by Hezbollah rocket attacks in the 34-day conflict.

In a July 12 raid into Israel, Hezbollah militants captured two Israeli soldiers, and Israelis then moved to target Hezbollah militants in fierce military action.

But the response resulted in the deaths of more than 1,000 Lebanese -- most of them civilians -- and the widespread destruction of the country's infrastructure. The death toll among Israelis was 159, including 41 civilians.

Olmert praised the Israeli military's top brass for "agonizing" over their decisions to carry out operations at the risk of civilian deaths.

He said the "dogged military struggle was forced on us" but noted that he was aware of "the voices of criticism."

"I hear them and I respect them and what they have to say," Olmert said. "There are certain things where they are right, and there are certain things where I disagree with them."

The Israeli prime minister called Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah's televised address Sunday a "contrition speech." (Full story)

Nasrallah said that Hezbollah would not have captured the two Israeli soldiers last month if the group had known how Israel was going to respond.

Olmert said Nasrallah initially mocked Israel and had wrongly claimed victory.

"[But] it's absolutely clear that Hezbollah has been whipped," Olmert said.

Rush Limbaugh resting after suffering chest pains Conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh was taken to a Honolulu hospital with chest pains Wednesday, a show staffer said.

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