Blue on Blue: Part 6(c)

Please read Parts 6(a) and 6(b) before reading this commentary.

A tribute to Second Lieutenant Daryl Loh
8 February 1981 to 26 February 2001

Every Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) training casualty touches the hearts of many Singaporeans beyond the immediate family members of the fallen warrior.

Singapore's tiny size, high population density and the acceptance of National Service (NS) as part of life in Singapore mean that the pain felt by the next-of-kin is a shared burden. Many Singaporean households have family members who had served NS and these households feel the sense of loss along with families whose loved ones died while in uniform.

The Singapore Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) has never shared the full extent of training casualties in the SAF.

But that should not stop us from appreciating and embracing every casualty as a citizen who died defending the very freedom we all enjoy and sometimes take for granted.

The dry-as-dust MINDEF news releases on SAF training accidents and the aversion of the Public Affairs Department (PAFF) to media coverage of such situations seldom allow fellow Singaporeans to appreciate this fact.

The Loh family has very kindly shared pictures of their late son, Second Lieutenant Daryl Loh, so you'll see him as a naval officer and a son, brother, friend and comrade who paid the ultimate price serving the SAF.

Daryl (seated, third from right, jersey No.1) with the Raffles Institution softball team. His leadership potential was apparent during his school days. He was captain of the team. The boys in this picture would be around 29 years old today, some quite likely married with children.

 Daryl as a midshipman with RSS Endurance, a Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) tank landing ship.

2LT Daryl with his hard-earned "bar". It's a proud moment for any SAF officer. He won the Sword of Merit during his MIDS course. Daryl's father tells me that Daryl never got to see this photo as it was given to the family on the day of the funeral.

2LT Daryl's funeral was held on 2 March 2001. His coffin sits atop a 25-pounder gun. The RSN mounted an honour guard to send off one of its own. Daryl's brother, Clarence, holds his portrait. Clarence was so affected by the loss of his brother he stayed away from home for four months because going home brought back sad memories of his only brother. When Clarence enlisted for National Service that same year, the RSN brought Clarence into the Navy Family so it could look after him.
I find the sense of responsibility displayed by senior RSN commanders at the time very heartwarming.

This is what journalists mean when they use the phrase "there wasn't a dry eye in the room".

Former RSN Chief of Navy, Rear Admiral Lui Tuck Yew, presents the Singapore flag and 2LT Loh's peak cap to Lawrence Loh, Daryl's father. The Loh family have said RADM Lui's support was exemplary.

No amount of training in a staff college or public relations grooming can prepare senior officers for that golden moment when they will meet the next-of-kin, in the presence of their grief-stricken troops, and must demonstrate the presence of mind to say something meaningful without breaking down.

In my opinion, senior commanders may show they are moved by the moment but must maintain their composure at all cost.

In emotional situations like this, people look up to senior SAF commanders for firm leadership, guidance and moral support. This is when outstanding officers distinguish themselves from the mediocre.

Blue on Blue: Part 6(b) - A Father's Pain

Please read Part 6(a) before reading the commentary that follows.

Eight years after losing his eldest son, Second Lieutenant Daryl Loh, in a naval accident, Lawrence Loh speaks about the loss of a son.

I thank Mr Loh for his courage in sharing his thoughts so other Singaporeans, be they parents, full-time National Servicemen or Operationally Ready NSmen, may know how long the grieving process stretches.

Every training death brings reminders to the Loh family and over a hundred Singaporean families who had to cope with the loss of a son or daughter every since the Singapore Armed Forces was established.

A Father's Pain
By Lawrence Loh

WHEN I read stories of SAF (Singapore Armed Forces) deaths, I will think of my son Daryl. He died in a naval accident in February 2001.

In an interview I gave to The Sunday Times in January 2003, I spoke of a deep-seated sadness that will never go away. (This was after four Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) women sailors died after RSS Courageous collided with a merchant ship.)

We’re now in 2009. We have moved on, but memories of my family’s ordeal remain as fresh as the day the accident took place.

Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and SAF personnel will never know the anguish that families who have lost their loved ones have to endure whenever we read about a training death. People in charge of handling training accidents must know that many more families will feel the hurt and the pain, other than those of the next-of-kin of the latest accident that makes the news.

I don’t believe in grieving alone which is why I’m sharing our experience. It is a form of emotional release.

The 26th of February 2001 was the day my life turned upside down.

It was a Monday and I was walking back after lunch to my office at Paragon Shopping Centre when my wife called at around 2pm. She said Daryl had fallen into the sea.

It came as a shock and she had to repeat the Navy officer’s telephone number three times before I got it down.

I called the officer and learnt that Daryl had fallen into the sea 40 minutes earlier. Naval divers were looking for him.

I was in a daze and went back to work.

My wife called me and asked me to go home immediately. That’s when the seriousness of the news sank in.

At home, the wait for the Navy’s call seemed like an eternity.

The Navy called me back around 3:30pm asking me to go to Changi General Hospital. I was in no position to drive, so my sister-in-law drove us there.

When I peeked into the resuscitation room, I saw the doctors pumping away trying to revive Daryl. At around 4pm, I identified his body.

His body was placed on a gurney, covered with a blanket and with only his face exposed. He looked like he was asleep.

My wife and I were devastated and we couldn’t eat for several days.

We had to decide whether the wake would stretch for three or five days. We decided on five because Daryl’s friends were overseas and his girlfriend was in Cornell. They needed time to fly back to Singapore.

The next day, I was anxious to see what The Straits Times had written about the accident. It was a very moving article.

My mind was in a daze. On Tuesday, friends said I had not placed an obituary and helped to arrange for one in the newspaper. I took a day to write the obituary for Daryl. I had always thought he would be writing my obituary.

(The Loh family’s tribute to Daryl read:“Daryl, you are our pride and joy. We love you and will miss you dearly. The emotional pain we are going through is indescribable.”)

You know, we may be Catholics but we’re still Chinese and the Chinese believe parents should not send off their children at funerals. I said we must be there for Daryl, so we all went to his funeral.

The real pain came after the funeral and I was on an emotional roller-coaster.

During the grieving period, every trigger point brings a flood of memories.

I remember our last dinner at the Island Club where Daryl ordered a club sandwich. It was our last meal together and I still keep the receipt. For a year, my wife refused to return to the club as that’s where we last saw him alive.

It took me about six months to get over the intense grieving. My wife took about a year.

I wrote to Dr Tony Tan (then Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence) to request an exemption for my second son Clarence. MINDEF said the Enlistment Act did not permit this, but offered to downgrade him to a non-combat vocation. You know, before Daryl’s accident, I actually wanted to put Clarence through a rigorous regime as I felt it would be good for him.

Lui Tuck Yew (Rear Admiral, then Chief of Navy) offered to place Clarence in the Navy so the Navy could look after him. I took up his offer.

Admiral Lui visited my family regularly during the wake and for many years after the funeral. Rear Admiral Tan Kai Hoe also provided much needed emotional support, for which we are grateful.

It has never occurred to me to close up. I’ve kept all the obituaries, friends’ emails, SMSes, condolence cards and stories from newspapers in a file.

I try to get over the tragedy by talking to others and hope the findings from the accident can be used to prevent future accidents… I don’t think I will ever get over it.

Blue on Blue: Part 6(a) - A Father's Pain

The Hurt Locker: A Father's Pain
This is a true story. I wish it wasn't.

In February 2001, the Loh family made a supreme sacrifice when their eldest son, Second Lieutenant Daryl Loh, died in a training accident while serving his country. He was just 20 years old.

Daryl’s father, Lawrence, shares his thoughts on why the system needs more heartware and compassion when dealing with family members of Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) personnel who die in training accidents.

The letter you see below was sent to The Straits Times Forum Page. It never saw the light of day in the 90 cents newspaper.

Mr Loh then sent it to Today, a Singaporean English language free sheet. Today published it in its online Voices page, which is a section set aside for readers’ letters. Online letters have less visibility compared to those that appear in the print edition.

I received the letter from Mr Loh recently.

I am sharing the letter here with the hope that Singaporean society will – someday - show proper respect to fellow Singaporeans when the occasion demands. If you're a person in authority, or a young SAF officer who will one day rise to one, please bear this incident in mind should you have to deal with next-of-kin someday.

I’ll share my thoughts in a follow-up commentary.

I thank the Loh family for their courage in speaking up. Stout hearts.



VIOLENCE AT MEET-THE-PEOPLE SESSIONS

By Lawrence Loh
It started with MP Seng Han Thong being set on fire. Then came MP Denise Phua who was threatened by a rag-and-bone man. Now it is MP Cynthia Phua who was subjected to a display of violence by a constituent.

Although these incidents are disturbing and a cause for concern, I wonder whether the constituents are solely to be blamed.

Allow me to relate my personal experience.

In February 2001, my older son died in a naval accident whilst serving National Service. In that year, my younger son was due for enlistment. A friend, a very active grassroots member, suggested that I approach my MP, for help in exploring the possibility of getting an exemption for my younger son. I was reluctant but he went ahead to fix an appointment for me at the Meet-The-People Session (MPS). I subsequently relented and he accompanied me there. It was in March 2001. That was my first appearance at a MPS, and it was to be my last.

I waited until midnight before I could meet the MP. Prior to this, he was given the case paper which detailed the objective of the meeting and the circumstances of my case.

When I entered the room, his first remark was “Yes, what can I do for you?”. There was no attempt at offering a word of sympathy or condolence. I then related my situation and said that both my wife and I were very traumatised.

His next remark was:“What traumatic? After two months, you won’t be traumatic.”.

With that, I decided to end the meeting. And with that, my respect for him hit ground zero. I was too stunned and grief-stricken to react. Someone who was less-controlled and less-measured than me could have flown into a rage and become violent.

MPs are elected or appointed to serve the constituents. People who attend the MPS are those who have real problems and need help. In a lot of instances, they are stressed, distressed and troubled.

What they need is a caring soul, a helping hand, a gentle voice, and words of hope and encouragement. To dispense these, MPs need good interpersonal skills and a high EQ. Arrogance, a patronizing, chiding and belittling attitude, aloofness and lack of empathy will only trigger acts of rashness and violence.

Many of our politicians have a high IQ, some are scholars. However, a high IQ is not the only attribute needed in a political career. A high EQ is equally, if not more critical, especially when it comes to dealing with the constituents.

In my case, I would have felt good if my MP could have been a warm and caring person. If he could have been empathetic, consoling and helpful. All these qualities can only come from the heart, not from the mind.

How many of our MPs can stand up and be counted for this?

Work sights

Hi Everyone,
This is my work place. It's the Universal Studios Singapore theme park at Resorts World Sentosa. Yes, it's quite a jump from the 90 cents newspaper. I joined Resorts World in May 2008 and moved to Genting Bhd some months later. Genting has seconded me to Resorts World to finish the project.

Seen in the distance is the Battlestar Galactica Dueling Coasters. The blue one is a suspended coaster (i.e. the track runs above you and your legs will dangle) that will clock +4.6Gs and -0.6Gs.

You can also see part of the lagoon that is the roof of the basement car park.

P.S. I'll organise a group outing to give you folks a sneak preview of the theme park. Should be in late December 2009.

Blue on Blue: Part 5

Why I turned down a book offer

Twenty thousand Singapore dollars is a tidy sum one can earn to write a book, but my credibility is worth more than that.

I turned down an offer to write a book about a series of Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) operations overseas because I felt the system wasn't ready to tell a compelling story.

The Public Affairs Department (PAFF) at Singapore's Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) asked me in March 2009 if I was keen to write a book on the operations.

I was definitely interested but wanted PAFF's assurance that access to interviewees and information would not pose a problem. The intellectual framework for the book should also reflect how participants felt and serve as a credible publication of record for the operation.

When one is engaged as a hired pen, you're essentially providing a service the buyer is paying for. So, if they want a Mickey Mouse book, that's what you should provide. The service should be provided under a willing buyer/willing seller relationship.

I wasn't a willing seller because at this stage of my personal development, I feel my name should only back book projects I believe in. Writing a book is a personal endeavour. Most writers would agree it's not a purely financial transaction where money changes hands after you whack out a chunk of text.

Some background is necessary at this juncture.

In January 2005 I agreed to write a book on the SAF's tsunami relief mission, Operation Flying Eagle (OFE). The book's production timeline was disrupted by issues related to information gathering. This is why I sought repeated assurances that there would be no issues with information access, or the availability of first order sources of information needed to narrate the story convincingly.

After my return to Singapore on 25 January 2005 aboard RSS Endurance, I took three weeks' leave to concentrate on the OFE book. Access was a big problem and information trickled in.

By 15 February, I had interviewed just seven SAF personnel - including the then Chief of Defence Force, Lieutenant General Ng Yat Chung. (Interviews done on 11 and 12 Feb 2005 don't count as I cornered the interviewees at social events.)

Two weeks had been frittered away idling at home waiting for interviews and information. As MINDEF wanted the book out quickly and imposed deadlines for me to meet, I was annoyed with the delays.

During the book review meeting on 17 February 2005, chaired by the then Director Public Affairs (DPA), Colonel Benedict Lim, I was asked for a progress report on the chapters. I replied none were ready.

He was surprised, to put it mildly. An Armour officer by training, COL Benedict's response was indeed swift and decisive. He got things moving quickly and cleared the roadblocks. That the book appeared on time is due very much to COL Benedict's effort in getting things moving.

A day later, I interviewed 24 SAF personnel of all ranks who had served OFE in Indonesia, Thailand or supported the operation from Singapore. It was the most number of interviews I had done in a single day - proper sit down interviews, not street polls where you're after a one sentence quote. Interviewees varied from those bursting with stories to tell to the less chatty ones who had to be coaxed to share their experiences during OFE.

I remember the day well: 18 Feb is my birthday. I missed a steamboat dinner at Marina Square planned by some friends as I was in Dieppe Barracks chasing down OFE participants during their Chinese New Year celebration.

I did two more interviews on 19 Feb and augmented these with email replies from OFE participants who served in other theatres. This included the KC-135R tanker crew who flew the then United Nations Secretary General around the Indian Ocean.

The liaison officer assigned to assist me with this project and I were pleased with the information amassed and I got cracking with the stories.

MINDEF received one chapter a day, everyday, for about a week. Thereafter, the chapters were vetted in a process which isn't relevant to this post.

I'm told the production timeline for the OFE book - I had about a month to write it - was one of the fastest MINDEF had ever achieved. It could have been faster if my LO had the roadblocks cleared sooner.

Access was one issue I had with the book offer. Credibility was another.

I understand that the Republic of Singapore Navy went through a period of soul-searching in 2003. This followed a major incident that made the news. Some of you may know what I'm referring to.

In addition, the winter seas that the operation's participants had to operate in were quite unlike anything they had trained for in the South China Sea. I hear there were issues about operating in this environment and this caused some friction. I hear there were also issues related to concept of operations (CONOPS). Some tactics, techniques and procedures were drafted, refined, exercised and approved while one LST was en route to its area of operations.

Yes, there were hiccups and command friction issues. To their credit, the RSN personnel resolved all these issues. I wanted this reflected in the book but PAFF said no. To my mind, PAFF envisioned the book as PIONEER magazine on steroids.

Now for the point about access to information. All SAF personnel involved in operations would know there is something called an After Action Report (AAR) that records all facets of the operation. Depending on the authors, some AARs are better written than others.

I had requested access to these AARs and received abridged versions for the first three operations. About two pages of sparse text for each operation that was essentially a rehash of what you can find from the MINDEF news releases online.

I hear that the actual AARs were so detailed they even logged the number of panadols dispensed and the sea states the RSN personnel had to endure. They detailed the missions performed by the small craft, such as the Fast Craft Utility (FCU: a waterjet-propelled landing craft) sorties that went around inspecting and resupplying ships anchored in a cordoned area at sea called SMUG1. This is the sort of colour I sought from the AARs, but was denied.

What a pity. Books on operations by other military forces make compelling reads because of the quality of the raw data which authors translate into information, then knowledge.

I had offered to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) so that information security would be preserved. That said, I'm told that even with the NDA, the ops summaries were all MINDEF was prepared to share.

My friends told me not to waste my time.

They advised me that had I written the book as a public relations puff piece, the book would lack credibility. A number of them had served during the operation, which is why I value their opinions and bow to their wisdom.

Don't you find it ironic that military enthusiasts can go to the SAFTI Military Institute Library and find armfuls of books detailing operations on various wars on this planet, but will be hard-pressed finding any books on SAF ops?

I nursed a naive notion that the book would serve as more than a coffee table book. I had hoped it would pack stories that were gripping and reflect the pride that the participants gained during their overseas stints. As I said, it was a naive notion.

So I declined the offer.

The SAF ops book project is the second I've declined in as many years. In early 2007, I was approached to write a book on a former Cabinet minister who once handled defence, education and economic portfolios. My concerns were the same as those for the ops book: access to first order sources of information to write a credible book. I declined the project as I didn't feel comfortable with the scope of work. In hindsight, it was the right decision. Those of you who know why, would know.

Looking at PIONEER's writing style, I could have quite easily grabbed the ops book offer with both hands, delivered the mother of all PR puff pieces and requested my name be dropped from the book. But Singapore is a tiny place. I didn't want to disappoint people I know whom I regard highly.

A parting shot: MINDEF doesn't seem to treat its authors well.

After the OFE book was done, I wasn't invited for the book's launch on 1 July 2005. I had thought this would be a professional courtesy. I attended the ceremony as part of the 90 cents paper's team that covered the SAF Day Parade, then lingered behind to watch from the sidelines as President S.R. Nathan did the honours launching my first book.

How would you have felt?

After that experience, I decided to set certain benchmarks for future book projects.

If you've read my previous rants on quality control (QC) issues related to defence information management, you will get a sense of the QC I've set myself for any book project. If these benchmarks can't be met, I'll walk away.

All the best to whoever is writing it.

My friends and I look forward to writing a book review after it is published.

Advertisement: Commentaries in November will focus on an overseas SAF exercise. Please look out for these.

Tackling Unknown Unknowns: The Vetting Process

I'd like to thank everyone who gamely joined the mock vetting discussion on the page you see above. The comments elicited mirror what goes on during a vetting process when creative ideas are thrown onto the table, debated and improved upon.

I liken the vetting process for creative ideas as a battle against unknown unknowns. The committee won't know what errors to look for (first unknown entity) or how many mistakes they must find (second unknown entity).

There's no model answer to refer to at the end of the vetting process and one hopes that the collective wisdom of the vetting committee would hedge against mistakes. Most times, this works.

As editors in charge of daily newspapers will tell you, slip ups are part and parcel of the job. People do drop the ball despite the best systems and intentions because the production of an editorial product, like a parade programme, is essentially a human enterprise.

Blast from the past

The image you see was not doctored. It was scanned from the National Day Parade 1991 (NDP) programme.

When the freshly printed NDP programmes were delivered to the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) Public Affairs Department (PAFF) back in August 1991 - ahh, it didn't take long for me to cast the spotlight on them - I was given a copy as a souvenir. I served PAFF during my full-time National Service.

One of my quirks is that I'm hardwired to look for errors in other people's printed work. Funny thing is, I can't catch my own speling errors, but can usually sniff out glitches that other people make.

While flipping through the 36-page programme, the image of the Colours Party caught my eye. I felt something wasn't right. So I went to look for Senior Warrant Officer Sng (can't remember his full name), whom I regarded as MINDEF's subject matter expert on such matters. I didn't make an appointment as SWO Sng was friendly and approachable and in those days, he had an "open door" policy.

I cracked the NDP programme to Page 8, the one with the picture you see above, and asked for his comments. I watch his studied gaze as his eyes shifted from one image to another.

SWO Sng then half-closed the programme to look at the cover and opened it again to Page 8.

He spotted the error immediately. The wattage from his smile when he beamed at me could have lit the whole office. He knew someone had messed up.

By then, more than 55,000 copies of the NDP programme had been printed. When I brought the error to the attention of my superior officer, he was baffled initially. As he was a Non-Uniformed Singapore Armed Forces (NUSAF, later renamed the DXO scheme), I think the error didn't quite register. He then sought the opinion of an Army officer in PAFF and that officer backed me up.

Here's what happened next: The NUSAF officer asked me who else I had spoken to about the issue (only SWO Sng) and ordered me keep it quiet. If I blabbed, I would be put on charge (!).

Now, when you're a lowly NSF and your superior officer threatens to put you on charge, this sort of episode gets seared into your memory for life. That's why I recall that episode so vividly till this day.

Vetting Exercise Takeways

I found the mock vetting exercise interesting because an error that eluded an entire NDP EXCO in 1991 also escaped the attention of many netizens - many of whom weren't even born in 1991. : )

Just look at the comments it elicited. One discussant found the image odd. And it took a Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) Second Lieutenant to point out the error. Good job.

As I work for a gaming company, I'm willing to bet that the vast majority of NDP'91 spectators would not have spotted the laterally inverted picture. You're also probably right to point out that the glitch wasn't a show-stopper.

I'll be the first to concede the error is minor.

On the whole, I feel the NDP'91 EXCO did a fine job given the constraints on time, resources, funding and political considerations. Iraq invaded Kuwait a year earlier in August 1990 and MINDEF was aware that the show in 1991 had to send an even stronger message of deterrence. This was a new inject the NDP'91 EXCO had to grapple with and they did so very well.

The whole point of this exercise is to underscore how errors make their way into cold hard print.

Vetting Process: The Systemic Flaw

Thinking back, the vetting process had a systemic flaw. Images in the pre-digital photography era were reviewed using slide projectors. The EXCO members would have had the draft parade programme printed out for them in A3 format - but in black and white with pictures appearing as a blurry mess thanks to early 1990s xerox technology.

The EXCO had 36 pages of mock ups to run through. As 136 images made it into the programme, common sense says that a larger number would have been flashed on screen because not all proposed images made the grade. The images would have been reviewed one at a time with the help of those pathetic A3 mock ups.

Remember the unknown unknowns? The NDP EXCO watching that slideshow were literally combing in the dark to weed out glitches. Vetting editorial copy is never an easy task. This is why the job of newsroom copy editor is often a thankless one.

There's another systemic flaw: most people in the sub-committee that vetted the programme were, by and large, very senior officers. So while an RSM might have zeroed in on the wrong positioning of the Colours, this boo boo probably escaped notice by the senior officers.

Can you see how the vetting process dropped the ball?

In the larger scheme of things, slip ups while vetting other types of MINDEF and SAF material has provided me with a fair bit of intel on items that would otherwise be considered S or TS. I will not highlight these as this will compromise operational security (OPSEC), but mistakes have been made and I think I've made my point.

But there are numerous things in my little black book I can, and will, share with you.

I've highlighted this example and the previous one involving the erroneous venue for Exercise Sing-Siam to demonstrate why staff officers must pay great attention to detail.

These are examples that many of you are probably reading about for the first time. In my opinion, this is probably because MINDEF and the SAF tend to shy away from learning from past mistakes. We do not make enough effort sharing how errors were made and have a tendency to sweep things under the carpet.

Case in point: the misfiring of the fireworks curtain from the Sheares Bridge during NDP 2007 was edited out of the television footage during the repeat telecast of the parade, as was the mistimed Fire of Joy during an earlier parade at the Padang. In time to come, people forget. Future generations viewing such footage without the benefit of institutional memory (for example: access to NDP after action reports) would not know about such glitches as everything looks picture perfect.

What has been carried forth through the years, however, is the punitive mindset.

To be fair, it's my view that this isn't peculiar to MINDEF or the SAF. Try criticising other parts of the system and see the reception you get.

When I pointed out the error in September's issue of PIONEER magazine, PAFF reacted in much the same way as my superior officer did way back in 1991. From what I hear, certain individuals were miffed.

Rather than getting their house in order after learning about the Alouette III error, the feedback seems to have generated mainly negative emotions.

I got not one word of thanks. Not a word.

Somehow, the deafening silence didn't surprise me.

Singapore-flagged container ship, Kota Wajar, hijacked

A Singapore-flagged ship, Kota Wajar, was hijacked in the Indian Ocean on Thursday 15 Oct 2009 off the Seychelles. On board were 21 crew, including two Singapore Permanent Residents (SPRs).

Kota Wajar, callsign Sierra Six Bravo Tango (S6BT), is a 184-metre long container ship en route from Singapore to Mombasa, Kenya. Note the generally low freeboard that would have facilitated boarding of S6BT from small craft.

The hijackings of two Malaysian ships off Somalia in August 2008 took about a month-and-a-half to resolve and saw the deployment of the frigate KD Lekiu and landing ship tank KD Inderapura with PASKAL special forces embarked. The deployment was called Operation Fajr (Arabic for "Dawn").