Operation New Dawn Begins

Operation New Dawn Begins

Operation Iraqi Freedom officially ended on August 31, 2010, and was replaced with Operation New Dawn, which focused on stabilizing Iraq and training Iraqi security forces. Ending military operations in Iraq was a campaign promise made by President Barack Obama. Operation New Dawn was a transitional operation from military forces to primarily civilian forces to help Iraq build its military and civil organization, maintaining approximately fifty thousand in US military noncombat forces in the country until the end of December 2011. However, the US embassy and consulates continued to maintain a presence of twenty thousand, including security forces. The United States agreed to supply the Iraq Defense Ministry with substantial amounts of military arms and equipment, and the United Nations (UN) lifted economic sanctions on the country that had stifled its oil industry and nuclear aspirations. The country was poised for growth, if it could offer a secure environment for its people and businesses.

However, after the US withdrawal, insurgent fighting and bombings regularly occurred, instigated because of sectarian differences. The new Iraqi government is majority Shiite, and Sunnis are the minority, conducting protests and attacks against the majority government. Shiites and Sunnis are both Muslim, but they have differing beliefs, much as Catholics differ from Protestants. Because of the civil unrest, Iraq was still ranked the world's eleventh-most unstable country politically in 2013. Operation New Dawn ended on December 18, 2011, when the last US troops crossed the border of Iraq into Kuwait. A total of sixty-seven US soldiers died during the operation, and many more Iraqis have perished in the violence that has followed the end of the war. The following are excerpts fromPresident Obama's speech to the nation on August 31, 2010, about the official end of the US combat role in Iraq:

…The Americans who have served in Iraq completed every mission they were given. They defeated a regime that had terrorized its people. Together with Iraqis and coalition partners who made huge sacrifices of their own, our troops fought block by block to help Iraq seize the chance for a better future.

They shifted tactics to protect the Iraqi people, trained Iraqi security forces, and took out terrorist leaders. Because of our troops and civilians—and because of the resilience of the Iraqi people—Iraq has the opportunity to embrace a new destiny, even though many challenges remain.

So tonight I am announcing that the American combat mission in Iraq has ended. Operation Iraqi Freedom is over, and the Iraqi people now have lead responsibility for the security of their country.

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We've removed nearly one hundred thousand US troops from Iraq. We've closed or transferred to the Iraqis hundreds of bases. And we have moved millions of pieces of equipment out of Iraq.

This completes a transition to Iraqi responsibility for their own security. US troops pulled out of Iraq's cities last summer, and Iraqi forces have moved into the lead with considerable skill and commitment to their fellow citizens.

Even as Iraq continues to suffer terrorist attacks, security incidents have been near the lowest on record since the war began. And Iraqi forces have taken the fight to al-Qaeda, removing much of its leadership in Iraqi-led operations.

This year also saw Iraq hold credible elections that drew a strong turnout. A caretaker administration is in place as Iraqis form a government based on the results of that election.

Tonight, I encourage Iraq's leaders to move forward with a sense of urgency to form an inclusive government that is just, representative, and accountable to the Iraqi people.

And when that government is in place, there should be no doubt: The Iraqi people will have a strong partner in the United States. Our combat mission is ending, but our commitment to Iraq's future is not.

Going forward, a transitional force of US troops will remain in Iraq with a different mission: advising and assisting Iraq's security forces; supporting Iraqi troops in targeted counterterrorism missions; and protecting our civilians. Consistent with our agreement with the Iraqi government, all US troops will leave by the end of next year.

As our military draws down, our dedicated civilians—diplomats, aid workers, and advisers—are moving into the lead to support Iraq as it strengthens its government, resolves political disputes, resettles those displaced by war, and builds ties with the region and the world. That's a message that Vice President Biden is delivering to the Iraqi people through his visit there today.

This new approach reflects our long-term partnership with Iraq, one based upon mutual interests and mutual respect.

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I'm mindful that the Iraq war has been a contentious issue at home. Here, too, it's time to turn the page. This afternoon, I spoke to former President George W. Bush. It's well-known that he and I disagreed about the war from its outset. Yet no one can doubt President Bush's support for our troops or his love of country and commitment to our security.

As I've said, there were patriots who supported this war and patriots who opposed it. And all of us are united in appreciation for our servicemen and women and our hopes for Iraqis' future.

The greatness of our democracy is grounded in our ability to move beyond our differences and to learn from our experience as we confront the many challenges ahead. And no challenge is more essential to our security than our fight against al-Qaeda.

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Within Afghanistan, I have ordered the deployment of additional troops who—under the command of Gen. David Petraeus—are fighting to break the Taliban's momentum. As with the surge in Iraq, these forces will be in place for a limited time to provide space for the Afghans to build their capacity and secure their own future. But, as was the case in Iraq, we cannot do for Afghans what they must ultimately do for themselves.

That's why we are training Afghan security forces and supporting a political resolution to Afghanistan's problems. And, next August, we will begin a transition to Afghan responsibility.

The pace of our troop reductions will be determined by conditions on the ground, and our support for Afghanistan will endure. But make no mistake: This transition will begin—because open-ended war serves neither our interests nor the Afghan people's. Indeed, one of the lessons of our effort in Iraq is that American influence around the world is not a function of military force alone. We must use all elements of our power—including our diplomacy, our economic strength, and the power of America's example—to secure our interests and stand by our allies. And we must project a vision of the future that is based not just on our fears but also on our hopes, a vision that recognizes the real dangers that exist around the world but also the limitless possibility of our time.

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…We are funding a post-9/11 G. I. Bill that helps our veterans and their families pursue the dream of a college education. Just as the G. I. Bill helped those who fought World War II—including my grandfather—become the backbone of our middle class, so today's servicemen and women must have the chance to apply their gifts to expand the American economy because part of ending a war responsibly is standing by those who have fought it.

Two weeks ago, America's final combat brigade in Iraq—the Army's Fourth Stryker Brigade—journeyed home in the predawn darkness. Thousands of soldiers and hundreds of vehicles made the trip from Baghdad, the last of them passing into Kuwait in the early-morning hours. Over seven years before, American troops and coalition partners had fought their way across similar highways, but this time, no shots were fired. It was just a convoy of brave Americans, making their way home.

Of course, the soldiers left much behind. Some were teenagers when the war began. Many have served multiple tours of duty, far from their families who bore a heroic burden of their own, enduring the absence of a husband's embrace or a mother's kiss.

Most painfully, since the war began, fifty-five members of the Fourth Stryker Brigade made the ultimate sacrifice, part of over 4,400 Americans who have given their lives in Iraq.

As one staff sergeant said, “I know that to my brothers in arms who fought and died, this day would probably mean a lot.”

Those Americans gave their lives for the values that have lived in the hearts of our people for over two centuries. Along with nearly 1.5 million Americans who have served in Iraq, they fought in a faraway place for people they never knew. They stared into the darkest of human creations—war—and helped the Iraqi people seek the light of peace.

In an age without surrender ceremonies, we must earn victory through the success of our partners and the strength of our own nation. Every American who serves joins an unbroken line of heroes that stretches from Lexington to Gettysburg, from Iwo Jima to Inchon, from Khe Sanh to Kandahar—Americans who have fought to see that the lives of our children are better than our own.

Our troops are the steel in our ship of state. And though our nation may be traveling through rough waters, they give us confidence that our course is true and that, beyond the predawn darkness, better days lie ahead.

Thank you. May God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America and all who serve her.