Thank you very much. I wish you all the best with the members of your team in delivering on the goals of the Baghdad PRT.

Provincial Council Chairman Mueen, Governor Hussein, Deputy Mayor Hussein Al-Bahraini, General Thurman, Ambassador Dan Speckhard, who is working so hard on developing the concept the PRTS, Dawn Liberi, head of USAID – USAID will play an important role in advancing our goals – and other distinguished guests.

I am pleased to be with you here today to mark the inauguration of the Baghdad Provincial Reconstruction Team.

One week ago, we observed the third anniversary of the start of the military campaign that liberated Iraq. Since then, the United States, with its Coalition and Iraqi partners, has worked hard to lay the foundation of a free and prosperous Iraq. This has not been easy, but nothing important is easy. The lives of many brave servicemen and women have been lost and continue to be lost in this struggle for Iraq.

We have great respect for both the tremendous courage and the accomplishments of the Iraqi people during this difficult period of transition. Thousands of Iraqi men, women, and children have been killed since Iraq’s liberation. The terrorists have tried to intimidate and discourage the Iraqi people from making progress in building this new Iraq. The terrorists seek to provoke a civil war among Iraq’s diverse communities. Yet each time they have been called upon, the Iraqi people have done their part. They have resisted provocations to sectarian warfare and have voted in three historic elections and referendums despite the terrorist threat. The courage of the Iraqi people is an inspiration to those who seek and defend freedom throughout the world.

We have also learned that the best antidote to violence is dialogue and inclusiveness. This is why it is critical that the newly elected leaders of Iraq do their part by forming a government of national unity with a good program and competent ministers as soon as possible. This is a critical step for the future of Iraq, and I ask all of you to join me in praying for their success in this endeavor. They are not just attempting to form a government, but also to establish a national compact among Iraq’s diverse ethnicities and sects.

Although we often tend to focus on the headlines emanating from Iraq’s national politics and terrorist violence, we must not forget the importance of improving Iraqi lives within their local communities. Iraq requires not only good government at the center, but also effective local government and strong coordination between the provincial and central governments. Today, along with the Baghdad Provincial leadership, we are proudly taking another step forward in this direction with the formation of the Baghdad Provincial Reconstruction Team, also known by the acronym PRT.

Last November, the first PRTs were launched in the provinces of Ninawa, Babil, and Ta’mim. Of all the PRTs, the Baghdad PRT may be the most critical one yet to the accomplishment our joint objective of a free and prosperous Iraq. For not only is Baghdad the seat of the national government, the provincial government and the municipal government, with seven million inhabitants—one-quarter of the entire Iraqi population — Baghdad Province is the most populous of the country’s eighteen provinces as well. Consequently, Baghdad is also the focus of much of the terrorists’ effort to disrupt progress in Iraq.

The mission of the PRT program is clear:

• To help the provincial governments develop a transparent and sustained capability to govern;
  
• To promote increased security and rule of law;
  
• To promote political and economic development; and
  
• To provide provincial administration necessary to meet the basic needs of the population.

I have already met some of the talented people on our new Baghdad PRT. I appreciate their dedication. They come from diverse backgrounds, and bring a wide array of abilities to this mission. This PRT will include people from:

• The United States Embassy;
  
• The U.S. Agency for International Development;
  
• The Army Corps of Engineers;
  
• The Multi-National Division in Baghdad;
  
• Iraqi-Americans;
  
• Bilingual-bicultural advisors;
  
• Our brave locally engaged staff;
  
• Army Civil Affairs soldiers;
  
• And others.

Yet despite their diverse backgrounds, they share a common goal – to help the leaders and the people of Baghdad province.

One of the features of the new Iraqi constitution is that it delegates responsibility to provincial and regional government. This adjustment from a centralized to a de-centralized system of government is one of the most important transitions facing Iraq. Local governments in Iraq vary in their capacity to meet the needs of their citizens. Therefore, it is important that we recognize that a cookie-cutter approach to this problem will not work. The PRTs will allow greater flexibility in working with local governments to increase their capacity to deliver on these responsibilities. In addition to strengthening local government, PRTs will strengthen the ability of Iraqis to improve their local communities by rebuilding their civil society. But the core mission remains across the board in all PRTs to strengthen local government.

The United States of America is committed to success in Iraq. With our coalition partners, we have already invested $3.5 billion in the infrastructure in Baghdad. We are working hard on the electric power sector, and additional investment is being made as the water and sewage systems are greatly improved. To date, the U.S. program has funded about 830 water and sanitation projects worth 763 million dollars. The rehabilitations of the Sharq Dijlah Plant and construction of the Sadr City water treatment plant are among the most significant projects undertaken.

The improvement of the provincial governments’ capacity to improve the lives of the Iraqi people is not only important to the United States and to the Iraqis, but to the world as well. A successful Iraq will reshape the future of the Middle East, and the future of the Middle East will reshape the future of the world. This is why the PRTs are not strictly an American venture. Soon, the United Kingdom will launch a PRT in Basrah, and the Italians will be standing one up in Dhi Qar province. Eventually, we hope to have a PRT fulfilling these missions in each of Iraq’s eighteen provinces.

The path for success is clear. We are committed to helping Iraqis stand on their own feet again, and the improvement of local governance and communities is an integral part of this overall effort.

Working together with the Iraqis and the international community we will succeed.

Thank you, and may God bless the people of Iraq.