Operation New Dawn
 

Iraq war to be rebranded 'Operation New Dawn'
(AFP) – 7 hours ago

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama's administration plans to rebrand its military operation in Iraq "Operation New Dawn," beginning September 1, a Pentagon memorandum shows.

The memo, signed by US Defense Secretary Robert Gates, shows the Pentagon approving a request to switch the name of the US military effort in Iraq from its current designation -- "Operation Iraqi Freedom."

"The request... is approved to take effect 1 September 2010, coinciding with the change of mission for US forces in Iraq.

"Aligning the name change with the change of mission sends a strong signal that Operation Iraqi Freedom has ended and our forces are operating under a new mission," Gates wrote in the memo, first reported by ABC News.

The document, which is addressed to General David Petraeus, the head of US Central Command, adds the rebranding "presents opportunities to synchronize strategic communication initiatives... and recognize our evolving relationship with the government of Iraq."

The move quickly drew criticism from Military Families United, a national security pressure group.

"You cannot end a war simply by changing its name," Brian Wise, the group's executive director, said in a statement.

"Despite the administration's efforts to spin realities on the ground, their efforts do not change the situation at hand in Iraq.

"Operational military decisions should not be made for purposes of public relations but should be made in the best interests of our nation, the troops on the ground and their families back home."

Obama ran for office in 2008 on a platform that emphasized a pledge to withdraw US troops from Iraq and focus on the war in Afghanistan.

There are now some 97,000 US troops stationed in Iraq, the first time the number has fallen below 100,000 since the US-led invasion of the country in 2003, according to the Pentagon.

That figure is scheduled to fall to around 50,000 by the end of August, with those troops left behind functioning in advisory and training roles solely.

All US troops are scheduled to withdraw from Iraq by the end of 2011.

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New Dawn - sounds like dishwashing deterrgent - we must be preparing to wash our hands of the whole affair. :rolleyes:

And so it goes...

Richard's $.02 :munchin

Dozier, I had the same thought. The then I remembered the 2nd Battle of Fallujah "Operation Al Fajr" or Operation Dawn....Maybe beginning Sept 1 ......
Naw....Never happen.

Maybe we could call it "Red Dawn 2010"
http://reddawnmovietrailer.blogspot.com/

I don't know......... :rolleyes: I'd rather see a new version of The Russians are Coming,The Russians are Coming with the China twist to it!!!!! ;)

Big Teddy :munchin

I'm waiting for Operation Warm and Fuzzy.
And in the future....
Operation We are the World
Operation We Apologize
etc etc etc.....

Not unless we let Joe Biden write them.

TR

Attachment 14729


This Great O is not hard to read; he views himself as the "New Dawn".

Sounds like a good movie actually, we could call it Red Dawn.

Is that too fast or would you guys say thats good?

Try to keep up

That’s an interesting choice of words. Whose dawn is it, and why?
For whom is it dawn when the Americans leave?

I like how they make it sound like this is all they are doing. Nothing about security, defense or leading raids. They make it sound like the troops are running a community college over there.

Uhmmmmmm? That's pretty much the intent. At least in the long term. Anybody remember Saigon, 1975? Same party making the policy. :(