Iraq Rebrands Military Campaign Against Islamic State Over Fears of Sectarianism

A campaign led by Shi'ite paramilitaries to drive Islamic State militants from Iraq's Sunni heartland was rebranded on Wednesday after criticism that the name chosen for the push was overtly sectarian. The move was a response to fears that Iraq's reliance on Shi'ite paramilitaries to defeat Islamic State fighters, instead of the disordered and demoralized national army, could alienate Sunni Iraqis and deepen the region's sectarian divide.
The United States said it was "unhelpful" that the militias had dubbed the operation to retake Iraq's western province of Anbar "Labeyk Ya Hussein." The name translates to "At your service, Hussein," in honor of one of the most revered figures in Shi'ite Islam.