http://www.jpost.com/LandedPages/PrintArticle.aspx?id=184405
By YAAKOV KATZ AND JPOST.COM STAFF
11/08/2010
Turkel C'tee: Ashkenazi takes responsibility for flotilla raid.

IDF Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi told the Turkel Committee on Wednesday that the IDF made a crucial mistake when it did not resort to accurate fire against those blocking entry to the Mavi Marmara Turkish aid ship as IDF Shayetet 13 commandos rappelled onto the ship from helicopters.

"The central mistake, including mine, was that we thought there were about 10-15 people on the ship, we will throw flash grenades, they will move away, and then we will be able to drop 15 soldiers in one minute," explained Ashkenazi. "Here was the real error. We should have managed conditions to accumulate power in the quickest way. There was need to fire with accurate weapons and neutralize those who prevented the rappelling down of soldiers, something that would have decreased the the risk of harm to them. That is the central lesson for the next operation."

When asked whether the plan needed to be changed after the first soldier boarded the ship, Ashkenazi stressed that the moment the soldier rappelled down from the chopper, there was no doubt that the operation needed to be continued. And that was the decision of the Navy chief.

"When someone comes at a soldier with an axe, the soldier will shoot," said the IDF chief.

He also added that the IDF did not have sufficient evidence on the IHH organization. "The level of knowledge the IDF had on the organization was not like the level of information we have on Hamas," or the Islamic Jihad. "We did not investigate the organization. It was not on our list of our priorities because it was not listed as a terror organization and was located in Turkey which is not an enemy state."

In a clear break from the strategy of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Ashkenazi took responsibility for the botched flotilla raid in late May during his testimony before then Turkel Committee.

Good for Ashkenazi for taking responsibility.

But how could the IDF not know what the intent of the terrorist on the ship were. It was available open source, showing them board the ship in Turkey saying they wanted to become martyrs.