Operation Red Dawn Defender was a military operation conducted by the United States in 2003 during the Iraq War. The mission was to capture Saddam Hussein, who was believed to be hiding in the town of ad-Dawr, Iraq. The operation was successful and Hussein was captured by US forces. The term 'Operation Red Dawn Defender' is derived from the code name given to the mission, which was 'Red Dawn'. The crossword solution for the term is IRAQI, which is a reference to the country in which the mission took place.