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Kirkuk, Iraq - U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad inaugurated a new Iraq Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in the northern city of Kirkuk, capital of Ta’mim Province. This is the third PRT, following launches earlier this month in Ninewah and Babil provinces.
"I urge Iraqis to take advantage of this opportunity to be a part of rebuilding Iraq. The PRT can help build capacity and systems based on the rule of law and building effective security systems to deal with the problems of Iraq,” Ambassador Khalilzad said at the official ceremony in the Ta’mim provincial capital. “The PRT can assist these programs and can help, but the ultimate success will come from the decisions Iraqis make for themselves."
Under the new Iraq PRT initiative, U.S. and Coalition military and civilian partners will work directly with Iraq’s provincial governments to help build national institutions by encouraging more capable provincial and local authorities. Together they will develop a transparent and sustained capability to govern, enhance security and rule of law, promote political and economic development, and meet the basic needs of the community.
Speaking to assembled provincial and Coalition officials at the inauguration ceremony here in Kirkuk, Ambassador Khalilzad said, “Iraq's success will shape the future of this region and the future of this region will shape the future of the world. Like containing the former Soviet Union, Iraq's success is the defining challenge of our time. I want to assure you, you have a good partner in this transition. We, the United States, want Iraq to stand on its own feet as soon as possible."
Earlier this month Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice launched the first team in Ninewah Province during her visit to the provincial capital of Mosul and said, “Learning from successful precedents used in Afghanistan, we will deploy Provincial Reconstruction Teams in key parts of the country.”
The PRTs are a civil-military effort led by the U.S. Department of State with extensive support from U.S. and Coalition Forces. Depending on the needs of the individual province, they range in size from 70 to 100 persons. Iraq is a more developed nation and the mission differs from Afghanistan. Similar to the Afghan teams, however, the Iraq PRT is designed with a robust defensive capacity in addition to a strong advisory and developmental capability.
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