Operation Red Dawn

Overview

Saddam Hussein, the deposed president of Iraq, was captured by the United States military in the town of Ad-Dawr, Iraq, on 13 December 2003. The military operation to capture him was codenamed Operation Red Dawn, after the 1984 American film Red Dawn.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

Operation Red Dawn resulted in the capture of Saddam Hussein, the deposed president of Iraq, by U.S. military forces in the town of Ad-Dawr on 13 December 2003. Hussein's capture removed the most prominent symbol of the former Ba'athist government and marked a significant milestone in the U.S.-led occupation, eliminating the possibility of his return to power and the rallying potential his fugitive status had provided to remnants of the former regime.