02-18-2010 08:19 PM
Say goodbye to Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Effective Sept. 1, the war in Iraq will acquire a new official moniker: “Operation New Dawn.”

Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced the move Wednesday in a memo to Gen. David Petraeus, chief of U.S. Central Command, that was first reported by ABC News.

In the brief, one-paragraph memo, a copy of which also went to Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Gates said the name change is designed to coincide with “the change of mission for U.S. 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. “It also presents opportunities to synchronize strategic communication initiatives, reinforce our commitment to honor the Security Agreement, and recognize our evolving relationship with the Government of Iraq.”



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