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2008 Press Releases

Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRT) Fact Sheet

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March 20, 2008

“The surge of our Provincial Reconstruction Teams is facilitating reconstruction and reconciliation at the local level, as I just saw firsthand in Kirkuk. To be sure, serious challenges remain in Iraq, but they are increasingly the challenges of building on positive developments.”
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, December 21, 2007

  • Established by Secretary Rice on November 11, 2005, the Iraq Provincial Reconstruction Team initiative is a civilian-military inter-agency effort that provides the primary connection between U.S. and coalition partners and provincial and local governments in all of Iraq’s 18 provinces.
  • The core PRT mission is helping provincial governments with: developing a transparent and sustained capability to govern, promoting increased security and rule of law, promoting political and economic development and providing provincial administration necessary to meet the basic needs of the population.
  • The PRT focus is on five thematic areas including governance, economics, infrastructure, rule of law and public diplomacy.  The teams work to assist provincial and local governments with a range of engagement, training, jobs and small grant programs.
  • Most of Iraq is served by a total of 31 PRTs including thirteen “embedded” PRTs  (EPRTs), formulated as part of President Bush’s New Way Forward strategy.  Embedded teams work hand-in-glove with military units at the brigade level.
  • Four southern provinces are served by smaller civilian teams based in Babil and Dhi Qar. These provincial support teams bring vital engagement and capacity building activity to the provinces of Karbala, Najaf, Muthanna and Maysan.
  • The combined staff of all teams now numbers approximately 800.  They are from the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Agency for International Development, U.S. and coalition military, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of Agriculture and contract personnel.
  • PRT funding comes from a variety of sources, including coalition partners, with the majority coming from the U.S.  The principal programs associated with PRTs include PRDC (Provincial Reconstruction and Development Committee) and QRF (Quick Response Fund) programs as well as the following USAID-funded programs: CSP (Community Stabilization Program); the LGP (Local Governance Program); CAP (Community Action Program); Izdihar Economic Growth Program; and INMA Agri-business Program.
  • The teams are an important tool in achieving our counterinsurgency strategy by bolstering moderates, promoting reconciliation, fostering economic development and building provincial capacity.