Iraq War Renamed 'Operation New Dawn'

The Obama administration has rebranded the Iraq War as it prepares to pull out most American troops. "Operation Iraqi Freedom" will become "Operation New Dawn" as of Sept. 1, when US troop levels are supposed to fall to around 50,000, the Washington Post reports. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says the new name will signal that America's combat role in Iraq is drawing to a close.

The move will "reinforce our commitment to honor the security agreement and recognize our evolving relationship with the government of Iraq," Gates wrote to Gen. David Petraeus in a memo last week. The new name may prove controversial, given that "New Dawn" was the name used for the bitter 2004 battle for Fallujah after Iraqi leaders rejected the US military's original label, "Fallujah Fury." (More Robert Gates stories.)