U.S. to switch name of military operation in Iraq – paper

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said that the Pentagon approved a request to switch the name of the U.S. military mission in Iraq from its current designation ‘Operation Iraqi Freedom’, according to the New York Times paper. “The request… is approved to take effect 1 September 2010, coinciding with the change of mission for US forces in Iraq,” Gates said. “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,” The Pentagon’s memorandum will rebrand the operation in Iraq “Operation New Dawn” as of September 1. The document, which is addressed to General David Petraeus, the head of U.S. Central Command, adds the rebranding “presents opportunities to synchronize strategic communication initiatives… and recognize our evolving relationship with the government of Iraq.” There are now some 97,000 U.S. 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. SH (P) 1