The Obama administration has decided to give the war in Iraq a new name -- "Operation New Dawn" -- to reflect the reduced role U.S. troops will play in securing the country this year as troop levels fall, according to a memo from Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates.And while we are talking about this future name change, let's talk about the Obama Administration claiming success for our progress in Iraq. That is fine with me. If it turned out that the Baathists had hidden two nuclear weapons and exploded them last week, we would have blamed the Obama Administration (even if the Obama Administration had tried to pass it off to George Bush). The Obama Administration has owned the war in Iraq long enough that they get to book both the praise and the blame.
Since U.S. forces charged across the Kuwaiti border toward Baghdad in 2003, the war has been known as Operation Iraqi Freedom. The new name is scheduled to take effect in September, when U.S. troop levels are supposed to drop to about 50,000.
The change is intended to send a message that the U.S. military's combat role in Iraq is rapidly drawing to a close. In the Feb. 17 memo, Gates wrote to Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top commander for the region, that the name change seeks to "recognize our evolving relationship with the Government of Iraq."
Such name changes are not unusual. The name of the 1991 Persian Gulf War changed as the mission changed, from Operation Desert Shield to Operation Desert Storm and then finally to Operation Southern Watch and Operation Northern Watch.
UPDATE: I have a copy of the signed memo and if anyone is interested, I will EMail it to them. s; Just send an EMail to crk (at) theworld.com.
Regards — Cliff
Like fire chiefs claiming good fortune that private planes don't land on more people, I'm thoroughly confused how we can ever get to the point of calling this Iraq folly a "success" in any context. We've destabilized a nation, been party to over a hundred thousand civilian deaths, and bankrupted ourselves in the process. It was bad policy when it was formulated, and it's been bad policy to continue the charade. All we're doing is motivating a new generation of violent people who hate America.
ReplyDeleteGreat.
Isn't anyone tiring of the LaLa Land rhetoric out of this, the greatest narcissistic administration in the history of the free world? If things are going badly....change the name. Yup...a new name works.
ReplyDeleteObama and his band of bone heads need to put a sock in "George did it." That has become the most tiresome phrase and excuse of the young 21st century.
The current US policy for the conduct of war is a tepid concoction of perfumed princes whose primary concern is careerism and their legacy. It does constitute manslaughter if not murder of our own troops. In WWII, if a commander had led (and today they don't lead....the send or push) their troops into harms way with the instructions not to fight if someone on the other side will get hurt, he would have been publicly hanged on the plain in from of the Capitol Building. Can you imagine the outcome if McAuliffe had instructed his troops in Bastogne to not shoot if there was the slightest chance of hurting a civilian?
The ONLY way we should be in this "war" in Afghanistan or in the mess we've made out of Iraq is on the basic condition that we intend to win at any cost using any means. Once the passive populace gets the idea that silence and inaction gets you killed, THEY will begin to take care of the problem themselves.
What we are engendering in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other observant ME kingdoms is a foreign nanny state.....and guess what....we are paying for the whole stage play....first with the lives of our offspring....and then with what money we have left after taxation.
This is a most disgusting period in our history.
Neal
Somewhere between bk & n, but closer to bk.
ReplyDelete"the greatest narcissistic administration in the history of the free world"
This is a most disgusting period in our history.
As your statements are clearly unhinged, I will not refute.
I must have been thinking Whopper!
ReplyDeleteHey, I'm just the guy in the back of the room here wondering about new ribbons.. ;)
ReplyDeleteOfficers. Always thinking about tossing your salad.
ReplyDeleteThe last two comments had me laughing out loud.
ReplyDeleteRegards — Cliff