Washington:
After more than two months of air strikes, American
commanders have finally decided on a name for the US-led war on Islamic
State jihadists - "Operation Inherent Resolve."
The decision was
taken "a few days ago" by the chiefs of all the armed services, said
Colonel Ed Thomas, spokesman for the US military's top officer, General
Martin Dempsey.
"The operation is called 'Operation Inherent Resolve,'" Thomas told reporters Wednesday.
He
offered no explanation as to why the Pentagon chose the name, which had
already been cited in media reports as a possible choice that was
rejected by some officers.
The US military usually announces the name of a military operation from the start.
The
named operations also offer a way of organizing medals for service and
valor, and that requirement might have provided the top brass an extra
incentive to arrive at a decision.
The 2003 American invasion of
Iraq was known as Operation Iraqi Freedom, and the war in Afghanistan is
still known as Operation Enduring Freedom.
During the US
occupation of Iraq from 2003 to 2011, there were more than 500 named
operations, including Operation Airborne Dragon, Operation Soda Mountain
and Operation Tapeworm.
Shortly after troops began arriving in
Liberia last month to help in the effort against the Ebola outbreak, the
Pentagon unveiled the name of that mission: Operation United
Assistance.
But there had been no official moniker until now
since US warplanes started bombing the IS group in Iraq in early August,
prompting a spate of speculation and sarcasm.
Some commentators
alleged that the lack of a name reflected the White House's lack of
enthusiasm for intervening in Iraq and Syria. But US officials dismissed
the idea as ridiculous.
Some reporters tweeted suggestions for
possible names, including one favorite that referred to the
American-made Humvee vehicles seized by IS militants - "Operation Hey
That's My Humvee."
Story First Published: October 15, 2014 23:03 IST
