Iraqs Inconvenient Truth :: Iraq War News Updates

Sunday, 29 June 2008 By Lance Cpl. Casey Jones
Regimental Combat Team 1

Staff Sgt. Earl Lucas, a platoon sergeant with Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, listens to an Iraqi citizen detail the seriousness of structural damage at a boys and girls school in Ramadi June 18. Repairing the schools in Ramadi has been a key effort in the rebuilding stage. Photo by Lance Cpl. Casey Jones.

RAMADI —

Ramadi was regarded by many to be one of the most violent cities in Iraq for much of the last five years. The thought of rebuilding the troubled city during that time was improbable, the risks were too high. Now, Ramadi is much safer and rebuilding the city is no longer just an impossible idea but an everyday reality in the recovering region.

The country is now transitioning from violence and fighting, to healing and freedom. The focus in Ramadi, and all of al-Anbar province, is no longer on warfare but on reconstructing the region’s damaged infrastructure.

“Ramadi is at the point now to where it’s secure enough to rebuild,” said Staff Sgt. Earl Lucas, a platoon sergeant with Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1.

One of the key efforts in the rebuilding stage of Ramadi has been repairing the schools. A number of schools in the city are in need of renovations due to structural damage and leaky roofs. The battalion’s Marines, along with Iraqi security forces, conduct daily patrols through the neighborhoods to survey the condition of the schools.

“Repairing the schools is essential because it’s a school—it’s their future,” said Cpl. Chris Sarlo, a squad automatic weapon gunner with Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, during a foot patrol to inspect a nearby school. “The children coming up now grew up around violence and fighting. Now that the fighting is over with, we need to focus on their education and hopefully make everything better in the region.”

While many schools throughout Ramadi are being assessed and renovated, it is only one of the many issues being focused on by both Iraqi and coalition forces in an effort to return Ramadi to normalcy.

One of the most visible changes in the city has been the constant effort to remove rubbish from the streets.

“A real big problem in the city right now is trash,” said Gunnery Sgt. John Cuoco, a team leader with 2nd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, an artillery battery currently serving as a civil affairs group in direct support of 1st Battalion, 9th Marines. “Iraqi and coalition forces are making efforts to have the locals use the dumpsters. We are doing several campaigns to increase awareness. We recently gave informational products to put in every classroom in Ramadi to explain to the children why it’s important for them not to litter and use the dumpsters.”

Although the city is still taking steps forward in its rebuilding efforts, the Iraqis are making progress everyday in rejuvenating and reviving their city to restore it to what it was before the war.

“The locals seem to have a genuine interest in what is going on,” Gunnery Sgt. Cuoco said. “But, a tremendous amount of work still needs to be done.”

The citizens are excited and are paying close attention to the encouraging changes in their city. According to Cuoco, a 46-year-old Tucson, Ariz.-native, he always receives a welcoming response and “shukran,” Arabic for “thank you,” from the locals for his help.

“Very few people in the city are hostile towards us.” Cuoco said, “Most of the locals are really enthusiastic about the rebuilding efforts and more often than not they try to help us and get involved.”

The changes in Ramadi are evident. Less than a year and a half ago, the city had essentially no electricity or trash collection, and running water was limited in the city. Today, the streets are getting cleaned up, new construction is everywhere, the city’s electricity situation is steadily improving, running water is available throughout the city, and trash collection is operated completely by Ramadi’s municipal workers.

Sunday, 29 June 2008 BAGHDAD —

Coalition forces battered the terrorist propaganda network in Baghdad Saturday and Sunday, killing two terrorists and detaining 15 suspects while targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq associates around the country.

Coalition forces surrounded a location in Baghdad Saturday targeting a leader of an al-Qaeda in Iraq propaganda cell. Coalition forces engaged and killed one man who drew a weapon when they entered the target building. They engaged and killed another suspected terrorist when they perceived hostile intent from his failure to follow Coalition forces’ instructions.

Six suspects who fled to nearby homes were detained, including a man assessed to be the targeted leader.

Using information from that operation, Coalition forces conducted several more operations in the city Sunday, confiscating propaganda materials and detaining five more suspected terrorists allegedly tied to the network.

During another operation in Baghdad Saturday, Coalition forces captured a wanted man believed to conspire with AQI leaders.

Coalition forces in Mosul captured a suspected AQI agent and one additional suspected terrorist Sunday. The agent is believed to have close contact with several AQI senior leaders. About 90 kilometers south in Sharqat, Coalition forces detained a suspected terrorist believed to be tied to a bombing network in the area.

Sunday, 29 June 2008 By Capt. Jabbar Colbert
4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division

Spc. Lucas Peterson, a Plano, Texas native, talks to a group of Iraqi boys during a routine patrol in the Rusafa security district of eastern Baghdad. Peterson is assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 3rd Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light), Multi-National Division - Baghdad. U.S. Army photo.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY —

Although, they are not who most people would call average war fighters, their mission is just as vital for survival. They conduct patrols, but their primary mission is not combat related.

“Team Metallica” is charged with assisting local governance to provide for the welfare of Iraqi citizens throughout the Rusafa security district of eastern Baghdad. The team consists of 3rd Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Soldiers specifically selected to handle reconstruction efforts. A civil affairs team, a tactical operations team and a security element encompasses Team Metallica that allows them to operate independently.

“We mentor, coach and teach the civic leaders on ways to make their neighborhoods a better and safer place to live,” said Maj. John Schulz, civil affairs team leader from Prescott, Ariz. “Once we set the conditions, we let the Iraqis work amongst themselves to solve their own issues.”

Under the direction of Capt. Timothy Green, a Cincinnati native serving as squadron effects officer for 3rd Sqdn., 89th Cav. Regt., Team Metallica plays a vital role in rebuilding Rusafa.

According to Green, the team has spent millions of dollars to aid rebuilding efforts in Rusafa, including projects to pave streets, issue business micro-grants and fund Sons of Iraq (Abna al-Iraq) programs. Team Metallica recently helped to coordinate the first Al Fadhl Neighborhood Advisory Council meeting. A direct result of this meeting was a street-curb improvement project conducted a week later, according to Green.

One future project on which Team Metallica is working includes a micro-power generating project for some of Rusafa’s poorest areas.

“We were able to start a micro-power generating project in one of the most ignored neighborhoods in Rusafa,” said Schulz. “Thousands of residents from Muhallas 125, 127 and 129 will not have to live in the dark (any longer).” The first of three ribbon cutting ceremonies will occur the second week of July, said Schulz.

Although Team Metallica handles traditional tasks such as giving soccer balls to children, they specialize in long-term projects that assist the Iraqi government in addressing issues for themselves. “This will allow the United States (Soldiers) to return home sooner, knowing that the job of country rebuilding is being done by Iraqis,” said Shulz.

Sunday, 29 June 2008 By Spc. Anthony Hutchins
926th Engineer Brigade

Local Iraqis wave as they rebuild their local market in the Task Force Gold’s area of operation, June 3. The mission of Task Force Gold is to bring peace to the Sadr City District in northern Baghdad and improve the quality of life for its residents. Photo by Spc. Anthony Hutchins.

BAGHDAD —

Task Force Gold, considered a turning point for Operation Iraqi Freedom, focuses its efforts to revitalize the war torn and impoverished neighborhoods of the Sadr City District in northern Baghdad.

Beginning in May, the mission of Task Force Gold is to bring peace to the Sadr City District and improve the quality of life for its residents.

In only a few short weeks Task Force Gold has achieved astounding results. Iraqi citizens give the Jamilla Market rebirth as Iraqis rebuild their shops with the assistance and backing of the 926th Engineer Brigade and the Government of Iraq.

Through routine interaction with the local population, coalition forces create a safer area.

“The people see that we are here dealing with them honestly and that we want to help,” said Capt. Darrick Wright, 926th Eng. Bde., MND-B.

The revitalized market has brought about a change in an area which was once hostile, added Darrick.

Streets, once filled with garbage and raw sewage, are now being cleaned up. The Iraqi people in the area show a keen desire to help themselves, to better their situation, and live a normal life.

“The Iraqi business owners have the courage to return to their shops,” according to Col. Jared Olsen, Task Force Gold commander.

The Government of Iraq has also provided workers who assist in cleaning and construction efforts around the Jamillia Market area, Olsen continued.

Members of the 926th Engineer Brigade spend countless hours working on the Task Force Gold projects.

The brigade commander refers to Task Force Gold as “our number one priority.”

Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Talley, commander of the 926th Eng. Bde., MND-B, often travels to Task Force Gold to review the progress being made there.

On June 4, Talley briefed Gen. David Petraeus, commander of Multi-National Force - Iraq. The generals reviewed the now revitalized streets and shops and communicated with the locals directly.

The success of Task Force Gold is dependent upon the Soldiers who risk their lives every day to bring peace and stability to the area by helping to re-build the neighborhood and by bringing economic prosperity to the merchants who live and work there, said Talley. These soldiers are dedicated to see that their mission is a success. Other commands are looking at the success of Task Force Gold and how it has brought about a new Sadr City and how it has helped a promising future for all of Iraq.

Back to Back

Two U.S. Soldiers provide rear security for a patrol in support of Operation Cougar Storm in Mullaid and Naquib, Iraq, June 23, 2008. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Paul Seeber.

 

Talk it Out

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Fred Hampton kneels on a knee to talk with a young Iraqi boy at the future site of a park in the Thawra 1 neighborhood of the Sadr City district of Baghdad, June 20, 2008. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Cohen A. Young.

 

Mount the Stallion

A U.S. Marine CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopter lands in the Jazeerah Desert, Iraq, to pick up Marines taking part in Operation Defeat al Qaeda in the North, June 24, 2008. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Jason W. Fudge.

 

Hose Team Hoods

U.S. Navy Seaman Damian Doyle and other hose team members await instructions as they prepare to combat a simulated fire during a drill in the hangar bay aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, Persian Gulf, June 20, 2008. U.S Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class James R. Evans

Saturday, 28 June 2008By 1st Lt. Joseph Holliday
4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division

Sgt. Brent Mann (far left), of Austin, Texas, and Spc. Octavio Torres, of New York, share water with a policeman from 1st Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 1st national police division, near a checkpoint at a major intersection in eastern Baghdad. Mann and Torres are assigned to Company D, 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light), Multi-National Division - Baghdad. Photo by 1st Lt. Joseph Holliday.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY —

Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers and Iraqi National Policemen share the stresses and successes of providing security and stability in Iraq as they work side-by-side every day to protect the people of Baghdad.

Soldiers assigned to Company D, 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, work with the policemen in a number of capacities. Frequently while outside the wire, the Patriot Brigade Soldiers from 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light), stop at police stations to check in on their Iraqi brothers in arms. This may seem like a small gesture, but the visits have positive repercussions.

“It is a morale boost for national policemen to see U.S. Soldiers caring enough about them to stop in and talk when it would be easier after a long mission in a 130-degree heat to just pass on by and go back to their air-conditioned rooms,” said Capt. Clint Brooks, commander for Co. D. “The NPs’ living conditions are not nearly as comfortable as that of U.S. Soldiers.”

On these visits to national police checkpoints, often Soldiers bring policemen cool water or snacks to help them stay motivated on the job, explained Brooks. The policemen are happy to return the favor, bringing U.S. Soldiers drinks or local Iraqi food, such as bread, fruit or kebabs, he said. For the national police, this kind of relationship building puts a human face to American Soldiers in uniform.

“It can be easy for an Iraqi, even an Iraqi national policeman, to look at a group of Soldiers all wearing the same uniform, performing their jobs with the machine-like precision we pride ourselves on, and not think of them as human like them,” said Brooks. “With these visits, U.S. Soldiers not only get to know their Iraqi counterparts but the Iraqi (policemen) get to know their counterparts – building the rapport essential to making their joint missions go smoothly.”

The Iraqi national police officers who share an operating environment with Co. D Soldiers are responsible for securing a traffic circle at an intersection of two major roads in Baghdad. At times, the Soldiers join them at their positions around the traffic circle and in the vehicle-searching areas to help with security and search operations. According to the MND-B Soldiers, the national policemen do an admirable job at their checkpoint.

“While working with the national police at their checkpoint, you can’t help but see their selfless devotion to make their country a better place for their people,” said Pfc. Randy Hooper, a Co. D Soldier who hails from Willows, Calif. “Even though our common enemy threatens their lives every day, they still guard their checkpoint.”

When U.S. Soldiers join the policemen at the checkpoint, the effects extend beyond the relationship and cooperation between them. It also affects the way the populace looks at their national police.

“It shows the people of Iraq that their national police are working hard and being supported by the most powerful fighting force in the world – the U.S. Army,” said Brooks. “The competence and credibility of the U.S. Army, known worldwide, is transferred to the NPs by working together (and) building the people’s confidence and trust in their national police.

“Showing this combined presence at such a highly trafficked area lets our common enemy know that if you try to test either force individually, we will answer together.”

On many of their combined missions, the national police lead the way and U.S. Soldiers play a supporting role, explained Brooks. National policemen conduct their part of the mission with a speed and precision that sometimes is hard for American Soldiers to achieve because of their reliance on interpreters, he said.

“Working with the national police on some missions in the SUJ (Shawra Wa Um Jidir), they are getting better every mission that we do together – and they are very helpful,” explained Spc. Urban Jones, a dismounted squad leader from Miami.

After working with national police officers for several months, the Soldiers of Co. D have watched Iraqi national policemen become a more effective fighting force. The Soldiers said they are thankful their hard work is paying dividends, and they are looking forward to the day national police cash in and conduct their missions without any outside support because ultimately, building Iraqi security forces and handing over to them the responsibility of securing their country is our best exit strategy.”

Saturday, 28 June 2008By Staff Sgt. Margaret C. Nelson
1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division

Sixteen reconciliation petitioners returned for phase two processing during Operation Restore Peace VII, June 1, at Forward Operating Base McHenry, Hawijah, Iraq. Candidates were vetted, biometrically registered and entered into a data base. The entire program consists of six steps from beginning to end lasting around 240 days. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Margaret Nelson.

HAWIJAH — The Government of Iraq and Coalition forces continue to reconcile former fighters as the Operation Restore Peace program in the Hawijah District of the Kirkuk province held its seventh meeting recently.

“The Government of Iraq is giving you an opportunity to reconcile. Take it,” Lt. Col. Christopher Vanek, 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 10th Mountain Division said to those attending. “If you aren’t here to reconcile – I’ll see you again, on the battlefield.”

Twenty-one showed up from throughout the district and were instructed on the reconciliation process under ‘Restore Peace’. The program involves six phases or steps encompassing approximately 240 days. From initial contact by Iraqi Security Forces, Coalition forces and local leadership to the first meeting where the program is laid-out and questions are fielded. Petitioners are also to provide personal information, according to 1st Lt. Matthew Gregor, 1-87, Fire and Effects Coordination Cell.

In step two, candidates return to be vetted, biometrically registered and entered into a data base. At this juncture, they are given a “temporary respite from targeting,” according to Vanek. The respite is part of the ‘no targeting agreement’, which occurs between the second and third steps, at which point the information obtained during step two is processed and verified.

Step three is the ‘no activity and no negative reporting period’ where the candidate is expected to cooperate with ISF and CF, and assist with the peace process by providing information on criminal activity occurring in their respective communities.

In steps four through six, an accounting board made up of local government, ISF, CF leadership and a designated sponsor; determine the way ahead for the petitioner. If successful, a public declaration of allegiance to the Government of Iraq is made by the participant and further monitoring for a set period of time is undertaken.

The program locals refer to as ‘Musalaha’, has been instrumental along with the Sons of Iraq program with the over 90 percent decrease in violent attacks against ISF, CF and civilians in the Hawijah District, according to Gregor.

“Your sheik, neighbor and village have spoken,” Vanek said. “They want peace.”

Additionally, the successful lethal efforts of 1-87 and other CFs in sync with non-lethal methods are key to the security successes in the region and the motivating factor in persuading more Iraqis in the area to “lay down their arms and join the reconciliation process,” according to Vanek.

Over 200 have successfully completed the reconciliation process since 1-87 began Operation Restore Peace in January. Hawijah is located approximately 60 miles southwest of Kirkuk City.

Saturday, 28 June 2008

Jabar Shebe al-Delami, deputy chairman of public works in Baghdad’s Mansour district, joins colleagues in cutting the ribbon during a June 25, 2008, ceremony to acknowledge the opening of the Ameriyah public works substation, the largest in Baghdad. Local dignitaries, police, and Iraqi and coalition soldiers attended the ceremony. Photo by Sgt. Whitney Houston.

BAGHDAD — Iraqi Security Forces, civic leaders, local townspeople and Coalition forces gathered in the Ameriyah community in Baghdad’s Mansour district June 25 for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to acknowledge the opening of the biggest public works substation in the Iraqi capital.

Public works substations provide essential services to local communities, such as trash pickup, street cleaning and other services necessary for proper community maintenance.

The opening of the Ameriyah substation marks an important milestone for residents of this area, who have not had these services in more than two years.

“These basic services used to be centralized into only one station located in the eastern Mansour district of Baghdad, creating a deficit in other parts of the city,” said Army Col. Louis Fazeka, part of the provincial reconstruction team embedded with the 101st Airborne Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team in Multi-National Division- Baghdad.

“The focus of this mission has been to ‘decentralize’ and make substations throughout western Baghdad, making these services more readily available to those neglected parts of the city,” Fazeka explained.

The colonel said that he hopes, in time, that these stations will aid in Ameriyah’s security and stability by restoring the confidence of the people in their government.

“These people want these basic essential services that you and I take for granted back home,” Fazeka said. “It boosts the peoples’ confidence in the government.”

With the help of contractors, the PRT went to work and cleaned up the area where the substation now stands, leveled the ground, fixed up the run-down house there and put concrete T-wall barriers around the lot to increase security for the workers and the equipment.

The project took 45 days to complete.

“This station has brought life back to 15,000 residents due to the reinstatement of these services,” said Salwan Talal Latif, Iraqi public works assistant zone director, and a 30-year resident of Ameriyah.

“Seven months ago, we were hiding in our houses in fear for our lives,” he continued. “But thanks be to God, … all aspects of fear that we had [are] in the past, and our lives are open now, and so are our opportunities.”

Close to Me

An Iraqi mother and daughter wait for medication after getting a check up from an Army medic from the 1-21st Infantry Division in Abu Gharib, Iraq, June 25, 2008. Photo by Spc. Richard Del Vecchio, Joint Combat Camera Center Iraq.

 

Rashad Elder

An Iraqi man holds school supplies for his children during the Cooperative Medical Engagement (CME), in Rashad, Iraq, June 24, 2008. Photo by Lance Cpl. Stuart Wegenka, Joint Combat Camera Center Iraq.

 

Packed Full

Members of the Iraqi Army fill a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III at New Al Muthana Air Base, Iraq, April 2, 2008. The C-17 carried the troops to Basra to support operations in the area. Photo by Tech Sgt. Jeffrey Allen, Joint Combat Camera Center.

 

Fruit Stand

Iraqis gather around a produce stand in a street market in the Hayyaniyah district of Basra, Iraq May 30. The Iraqi Army has been patrolling the area regularly helping to keep the streets safe and return the area to normalcy since Operation Charge of the Knights restored order to the streets. U.S. Army photo by Master Sgt. Mike Gajewski.

Third Shift

A U.S. Air Force Airman guides cargo onto a loader from a C-17 Globemaster III at Joint Base Balad, Iraq, June 24, 2008. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Julianne Showalter

 

Sideways

A U.S. Navy Sailor watches the tail of an MH-60S Seahawk as it takes off from the flight deck of the air-craft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln during a vertical replenishment with the Military Sealift Command fast combat support ship USNS Rainer in the Persian Gulf, June 23, 2008. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Justin R. Blake.

 

 

Command Delivery

The commander of the 2nd Battalion, 26th Brigade, 7th Division Iraqi Army, is happy to help his own people by bringing humanitarian meals to families in the district of Jamiat, Basra, Iraq, June 24, 2008. U.S. Marine Corps photo by 1st. Lt. James Gardner.

Shulla Search

Iraqi Army Soldiers watch as U.S. Army Soldiers check an AK-47 handed off to them by the owner during a joint patrol conducting a weapons search in Shulla, Iraq, June 19, 2008. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Manuel J. Martinez

Iraq Embassy News

Provincial Reconstruction Teams

2008 PRT News

New Security Helps Save Date Crop in Central Iraq

June 19, 2008

During the past two years the insurgency interfered with an important agriculture related pest control function here in Diyala Province.  The pest is the Dubas Bug or the Date Palm Leafhopper.  The Dubas Bug has seasonal breeding cycles that disrupt the cultivation of dates.

Sun Powers Fallujah Water Purification Units

June 17, 2008

The hot, dusty air erupts with shouts and laughter as a young Iraqi man holds a bottle to capture the water splashing from a hose connected to a strange-looking device. They’re cheering in this village just east of Fallujah because that small stream means these villagers, for the first time in more than three years, will have clean, accessible, inexpensive drinking water.

PRT Helps NGO Partner with Kirkuk Government

June 5, 2008

Recently, the Kirkuk chapter of Kurdistan Save the Children (KSC), a youth centered, non-governmental organization, working in coordination with the Kirkuk Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) and the Kirkuk Province Directorates of Health and Education, successfully completed a free prescription eyewear program for elementary school children. The project involved evaluating over 6,000 Kirkuk children in grades 1-2 in over 80 public schools.

Orphanage Visit Brings Smiles to Kids…and Soldiers

June 5, 2008

Samawa, Iraq.  Representatives of a U.S. State Department Reconstruction Team joined the 82nd Airborne to visit an orphanage on June 3rd in downtown Samawah, the capital city of the poorest of Iraq’s 18 provinces.  Eyes widened and hearts quickened as the 40 elementary school-aged children gathered in a classroom to receive donated toys and books from their American visitors.  One 11 year-old girl giggled with delight at her first stuffed animal—a white bear with eyes as big as those of its new owner.

ATM Cash Machine Comes to Iraq’s Diyala Province

May 28, 2008

Baqubah – Customers of Al’Warka’ Bank in rural Diyala province can now get instant cash from an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) because of improved security and an enterprising Iraqi private sector.

Iraqi Civil Servants Learn Computer Skills with PRT Help

May 28, 2008

Diyala Province – Provincial civil servants are gaining confidence and capacity to track and implement resources for development — made possible with increasing oil revenues — through computer training provided by the local Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT).

Iraqi Provinces Get Two New US Development Teams

May 26, 2008

Karbala and Najaf Provinces – A new chapter in the reconstruction and stabilization partnership between the United States and Iraq has begun with the establishment of two new PRTs (Provincial Reconstruction Teams) in southern Iraq.

Breathing the Same Air as Iraqi Counterparts

May 25, 2008

Tallil, Dhi Qar Province – Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) working directly with locals are being emulated as successful development models by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) like the United Nations/World Bank’s International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq (IRFFI).

PRT Provides Medical Supplies, Engineer Training for Iraq

May 20, 2008

Al Kut, Wasit Province – The Provisional Reconstruction Team (PRT) in this eastern province recently addressed a critical medical need when it partnered with Provincial Council members to supply 3,000 Blood Storage Bags to the Al Kut Blood Bank.

Securing The Iraqi Province…And The Relationship

May 20, 2008

Combat Outpost 6, Muthanna Province.  Representatives of the 82nd Airborne, Iraqi Police and Highway Patrol units, and the Muthanna Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) inaugurated a new Joint Security Site (JSS) on May 10th to facilitate the flow of information and resources between U.S. and Iraqi forces.

USIP Partners with PRTs to Further Reconciliation in Iraq

May 20, 2008

Baghdad – Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) like the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) are working closely with Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) to bring about understanding and tolerance among tribal leaders thus forming the basis for lasting security and economic recovery.

Seeds of Revitalization Planted at Iraqi Agricultural Fair

May 16, 2008

Al Wahdah, Baghdad Province – The first-ever agricultural fair was recently held in this farming district outside the capital with the help of U.S. Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) and their Coalition Forces partners.

Mozart Comes to Muthanna with PRT Help

May 16, 2008

Muthanna Province, Iraq — The families of Muthanna are mostly underprivileged, subsistence farmers who were long neglected during the years of Saddam’s regime.  On the United Nations’s Deprivation Index, Muthanna ranks last among all Iraqi provinces — eighteenth out of eighteen.  Unemployment hovers around 60% of the population.

USAID Farm Program Puts Money in Iraqi Pockets

May 16, 2008

Taji, Iraq – Hundreds of farmers in this rural district outside Baghdad are reporting double and triple production yields thanks to quality hybrid seed they received from the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) “Inma” agriculture program.

Building Capacity in Iraq One Life at a Time 

May 14, 2008

Baghdad – In the Intensive Recovery Unit (ICU) of a Coalition Forces hospital in the International Zone, Mahmoud Hassan al-Hadi slowly lowered himself to a chair and handed his crutches to Dan Bisbee, a member of  Baghdad’s Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT). Though clearly exhausted, Mahmoud was equally determined to thank the people around him for saving his life.

In Iraq Music Has No Boundaries, Only Bridges

May 14, 2008

Baghdad – Physical as well as mental boundaries have unfortunately divided people in this country.  But there are influences:  social, economic, and now cultural working to bring people and communities together, including the soothing and healing balm of music.

New Legs for Shahad:  Soldiers, PRT Help Iraqi IED Victim

May 12, 2008

Diyala Province, Iraq — It is the greatest tragedy of any conflict that children are killed and injured.  And victims like 10 year-old Shahad Abbas Aiez, who lost both legs to an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in November 2007, are proof that Iraq is no exception.

Popular Iraqi TV Show Makes Big Hit in Provinces

May 11, 2008

Al Kut, Wasit Province - A lucky audience in this town 125 kilometers southeast of Baghdad got a special treat May 3 with a free performance by the cast of the popular Iraqi Television show “Bait al-Teen” or Mud House.”

Air Force Partners with PRT to Improve Iraqi Living Conditions

May 11, 2008

KIRKUK – Members of the U.S. Air Force serving in northern Iraq recently teamed with the Kirkuk Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) on a project designed to help Iraqis improve waste management practices in the region.

PRT Success in Iraq is Not Just a Big Fish Tale

May 7, 2008

Baghdad Province – Fish and poultry production is being stepped up in agricultural areas near the capital with the help of an Embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team (EPRT) working closely with its military counterpart. 

Iraqi Regional Police Training Center Opens in Diyala

May 5, 2008

Trainees at the Diyala Pegional Police Training Center march in an Opening Ceremonies Parade.

Iraqi Mayors Attend Historic Cities Forum in Chicago

May 2, 2008

Mayors from more than a dozen Arab nations, including three representing Iraq cities, gathered in Chicago April 28-30 for the first ever U.S.-Arab Cities Forum hosted by Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley.

U.S. Sports Academy Honors Iraqi Soccer Team

May 1, 2008

Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker presents Team of the Year award to Minister of Youth and Sport Gassem Mohammed Jaafar.

PRT Helps Introduce New Military Unit to Muthanna

May 1, 2008

Muthanna Province, Iraq — The State Department’s Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) and elements of the 82nd Airborne Division are engaging in an unprecedented level of cooperation to affect a true reconstruction partnership with Iraqis in this southern province.

Water and Soil Quality are High Priority for PRT’s in Iraq

May 1, 2008

Diyala Province – With agriculture one of Iraq’s largest employers, water and soil quality are of prime importance to Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) working to upgrade farmers’ capacities to increase crop and livestock production.

PRT Medical Training Gives Hope to Iraqi Doctors

April 25, 2008

Nasiriyah, Dhi Qar -– Innovative medical training by U.S. military doctors working with Provisional Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) has given to hope to a group of Iraqi doctors long cut off from professional associations because of turmoil in their country.

PRT Initiative Connects Iraqi Students with World

April 25, 2008

Al Kut, Iraq –- An initiative that would expand the horizons of Iraqis beyond their village, district, province, and even the country itself is underway in Wasit province.

Iraqi Officials Learn of Millions PRT Devoted to Province

April 25, 2008

FORWARD OPERATING BASE DELTA, Iraq –- Iraqi officials in Wasit Province recently learned that since January 2007 more than $38 million dollars was spent on capacity-building projects in their region by Provisional Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) in cooperation with Coalition Forces.

PRT Kick-starts Soccer Outreach to Iraqi Kids

April 25, 2008

Muthanna Province — Barefoot kids and trash-strewn lots describe the state of soccer in this impoverished southern province today.  Even the province’s elite “Soccer School,” the only one of its kind to develop the talents of its most promising young athletes, has no soccer field to call its own.

Iraqi Farmers Invest in Nation’s future with PRT Help

April 18, 2008

Mosul – In the middle of a military push against Al Qaeda in Iraq, farmers in Ninewa Province are working across sectarian and ethnic lines to form diverse farmer associations spurring community cooperation as well as bringing hope for economic revitalization.

PRTs Indulge in Kebab Diplomacy in Iraq

April 17, 2008

Muthanna Province — Forty local farmers and sheikhs from Iraq’s southern-most province recently joined the Muthanna Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) and its military team members over a traditional Iraqi lunch to discuss agricultural needs of the community.

Sewing center Helps Empower Women in Iraq

April 17, 2008

AL-KUT, Iraq – A women’s sewing center officially opened in Muafiqiyah village April 10, providing both employment and training for local women thrust into the position of bread winners whose men have been killed or thrown out of work by terrorist actions.

Iraqi TV Journalists Learn Skills at PRT Workshop

April 16, 2008

Erbil — Kurdistan Region television journalists learned new techniques at a two-week training program in March and proved to be excellent students and colleagues, according to the American media expert who helped upgrade their media skills.

Increasing Engineers Target of PRTs in Iraq

April 15, 2008

Wasit Province, Iraq – As Iraq strives to overcome decades of government mismanagement and neglect, increasing the number of engineers is essential to design, contract, construct and maintain the country’s infrastructure, says Roberto Bran, Wasit Provincial Reconstruction Team’s (PRT) engineer development program manager.

Iraqis Gain Cardiac Training Courtesy of PRT

April 14, 2008

Dhi Qar Province — Twelve medical residents from Samawa General Hospital in neighboring Muthanna Province received cardiac training April 10 in a day-long session led by U.S. Army Brigade Surgeon Colonel Thomas Dove, a cardiologist working with the Provisional Reconstruction Teams (PRT) operating in southern Iraq.

Dispatch from PRT Volunteer in Iraq

April 13, 2008

Mosul — If it is a clear day you can look out over this city from Forward Operating Base (FOB) Marez and it looks like any other city in any country.  You can barely see the destruction and the damaged buildings caused by terrorists that become evident as you travel through the city of just over two million inhabitants.

PRTs Mark Earth Day in Iraq with Palm Tree Donation

April 13, 2008

Al-Hillah – Iraq’s reputation as one of the world’s leading producers of dates is being resurrected with the help of a Provisional Reconstruction Team (PRT) that recently donated 1,000 date palm trees to Babil Province.

Rebuilding Iraq Requires Cement, PRTS Told

April 11, 2008

Muthanna — As demand increases in Iraq’s new era of reconstruction, industry leaders in the cement business are keen to learn more about modern management and finance. They know that rebuilding Iraq requires lots of cement, and they are well positioned to make it happen.

School Laptop Project comes to Fruition in Iraq

April 11, 2008

Combat Outpost 6, Muthanna — It’s a long way from technologically-rich Cambridge, Massachusetts to Iraq’s poorest war-torn province – Muthanna.  But the distance just got smaller because of a recent agreement to initiate training in both Cambridge and in smaller desert communities to implement the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC ) program.

PRTs Promote the Rights of Women in Iraq

April 7, 2008

Taji – “Although women have had certain constitutional rights [in Iraq], these often have proven insufficient to permit women to strive for and enjoy the same opportunities and quality of life as men,” says U.S. Army Colonel George Phelan, the Rule of Law Adviser and Women’ Rights Advocate for Embedded Provincial Reconstruction (EPRT) Team located outside Baghdad.

PRTs Help to Bolster Local Self Government in Iraq

April 4, 2008

Taji – “Security and effective local government go hand in hand” and are essential for reconstruction and stabilization, says Embedded Provincial Reconstruction (EPRT) Team Leader Thomas Burke.

Burke, a career Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State, made his comments to Embassy Public Affairs Counselor Philip T. Reeker during Reeker’s March 14 visit to the team’s headquarters in Taji located outside Baghdad.

Iraqi Scouts Help to Transcend and Heal Wounds

March 24, 2008

Baghdad – Members of the Boy and Girl Scouts of Iraq recently paid a visit to a U.S. Military hospital bearing gifts of thanks and consolation for its patients and staff.  Armed with popcorn and smiles, the Scouts treated both Coalition and Iraqi patients to cheer and snack food, called comfort food in America, as they visited treatment wards.

General Petraeus Lauds PRT Volunteers

March 23, 2008

Baghdad – The more than 800 volunteers on U.S. Provisional Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) in Iraq are critical to success in the war on terrorism and to the well-being of the Iraqi people, says Coalition Forces Commander General David Petraeus.

The PRTs were a “very key element of the civilian surge over the course of the past year,” Petraeus said during a recent interview on the Good Morning America television show.

PRTs Help Rekindle Iraqi Entrepreneurship

March 22, 2008

Taji — “The Iraqis have an entrepreneurial instinct which is at least as strong as ours,” says Embedded Provincial Reconstruction (EPRT) member Bill Olds.

Olds, the USAID Representative on the team operating out of Taji, a town in Baghdad District, made his comments to Embassy Public Affairs Counselor Philip T. Reeker during a visit the Counselor made to the team’s headquarters on March 14.

Iraq Proves Fertile Ground for Rule of Law Programs

March 18, 2008

Baghdad – Following a year of partnering with Iraqis to improve their judicial system, U.S. Embassy Rule of Law Coordinator Jim Santelle reflected over what he termed the “steady effort” that proved as fulfilling as any work he ever did as a U.S. Federal prosecutor.

Not all Americans serving in Iraq wear military uniforms

March 17, 2008

U.S. State Department employee Sarah Francia was nearing the end of her career and looking for one last adventurous assignment.

“I went to the Middle East bureau that handles Iraq in the department and told them to take me now,” she said. “Of course, they did.”

Iraqi Women Celebrate Spirited Women’s Day with PRT

March 14, 2008

Dhi Qar, Iraq — “The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.” These words from the famous poet William Ross Wallace are the ones that Shaza Al-Qaisi - leader of a civil society forum - chose to start off a spirited speech in front of 130 people, most of whom were women – at an International Women’s Day event sponsored by the region’s Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT).

Iraqis Get Taste of American Society, Values with IVLP Visit

March 13, 2008

Baghdad – Contacts with Americans left a lasting impression on Iraqis who traveled to the United States recently courtesy of the State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), according to experiences they shared at an alumni reception hosted by the Embassy’s Cultural Affairs Office.

Iraqis “Ambitious” to Upgrade Agricultural Sector

March 12, 2008

Baghdad – The Iraqi government is determined to resurrect the nation’s status as the “Fertile Crescent” and breadbasket of the region while providing jobs for an agricultural workforce hard hit by a neglected and deteriorating infrastructure.

PRT Helps Anbar Province After ‘Long Night of Battle’

March 11, 2008

Forward Operating Base (FOB) Camp Ramadi, Anbar — The best “good news” story coming out of Iraq’s Anbar Province in 2008 is the dearth of “bad news” stories.  In September 2006, some U.S. military intelligence analysts declared the province completely lost to Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) and Sunni insurgents.  However, the U.S. troop “surge” of 2007, as well as the rejection of AQI by Anbar’s Sunni tribes, resulted in one of the more secure provinces in the country.

Dispatch from Iraq: Winning the Peace 

March 10, 2008

One night in April 2007, we boarded the Marine CH-46 helicopter at Taji, Iraq. It had to be a night flight to avoid the possibility of ground fire.  Having just completed our week-long counter-insurgency training, my two-man core team and I were en route to our final destination at Camp Belleau Wood and the 6th Regimental Combat Team located within Camp Fallujah, Iraq.  We would spend the next year embedded with a Marine tactical combat unit, working in partnership throughout the 1,900 square mile battle space known as Area of Operation Raleigh.

Rx for Iraq:  American Engagement with Medical Community

March 10, 2008

Samawa, Iraq.  U.S. Army doctor Colonel Thomas Dove made history March 4th as the first American physician to address his medical counterparts at Samawa Hospital in the capital city of Muthanna province.

The topic of his lecture to the 30 Iraqi physicians was: “Managing Heart Attack Patients” and according to hospital director Dr. Khalid Kharnoub it was the first time an American had come to address his staff.

Utica native helps rebuild Iraq

March 10, 2008

Utica, New York - Every time Mary Ann Penree of Deerfield reads an article about the war in Iraq, she thinks of her cousin Phyllis Powers. Powers, a Utica native, has been in Baghdad for more than a year serving as the director of the Office of Provincial Affairs. “She has a very prestigious job and we are very proud of her,” Penree said. “But it does make me nervous.”

Iraqi Women Form Backbone of Family

March 10, 2008

Hawr Rajab, Iraq – With violence appreciably down since Coalition Forces began a surge in operations a year ago, civil society is beginning to sprout with the help of women who have traditionally formed the backbone of their communities especially in troubled times.

Hosting Iraqis the Traditional Way

February 8, 2008

Al Toum, Iraq - local officials, farmers and Coalition Force members now have a welcoming place to meet with each other and discuss development issues thanks to the efforts of a U.S. Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) operating in Iraq’s southern Muthanna province. Political Counselor Matt Tueller, who was visiting from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, helped inaugurate the guesthouse known in Arabic as a “mudhif”. PRT Leader Paul O’Friel, whose team helped fund the structure, joined the diplomat at the February 5 event.

Iraqi Journalists Gain Skills from U.S. Workshop

January 24, 2008

Dahuk City – Iraqi citizens will soon get a clearer view of the successes and challenges facing their nation thanks to an innovative training partnership between a leading Iraqi non-governmental organization (NGO) and a U.S. Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) aimed at upgrading the reporting skills of radio, TV and print journalists.

Iraqi, American Poetry Reading Bridges Cultural Divides

January 22, 2008

Baghdad — The power of poetry to transcend politics and bridge cultural divides came alive January 15 at the First Annual Iraqi/American Poetry Reading, sponsored by the U.S. Embassy in partnership with the Iraqi Tawasin Cultural Society.

Highway Official leaving to Help Rebuild Iraq

January 22, 2008

Hutchinson, Kansas – Martin Miller had received job e-mails from the Federal Government over the past few years, but he never opened them.  After all, he wasn’t looking for a job.

Mechanics Training for Iraqi Army Fuels Engine for Change

January 2, 2008

Baghdad – One hundred and eighty-nine smiling Iraqi Jundi (soldiers)  received certificates for the successful completion of a rigorous 10-week mechanics course December 30 knowing they will now play an integral role as engines for change powering their Army.

Embassy News

Provincial Reconstruction Teams

2008 PRT News

New Security Helps Save Date Crop in Central Iraq

June 19, 2008

During the past two years the insurgency interfered with an important agriculture related pest control function here in Diyala Province.  The pest is the Dubas Bug or the Date Palm Leafhopper.  The Dubas Bug has seasonal breeding cycles that disrupt the cultivation of dates.

Sun Powers Fallujah Water Purification Units

June 17, 2008

The hot, dusty air erupts with shouts and laughter as a young Iraqi man holds a bottle to capture the water splashing from a hose connected to a strange-looking device. They’re cheering in this village just east of Fallujah because that small stream means these villagers, for the first time in more than three years, will have clean, accessible, inexpensive drinking water.

PRT Helps NGO Partner with Kirkuk Government

June 5, 2008

Recently, the Kirkuk chapter of Kurdistan Save the Children (KSC), a youth centered, non-governmental organization, working in coordination with the Kirkuk Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) and the Kirkuk Province Directorates of Health and Education, successfully completed a free prescription eyewear program for elementary school children. The project involved evaluating over 6,000 Kirkuk children in grades 1-2 in over 80 public schools.

Orphanage Visit Brings Smiles to Kids…and Soldiers

June 5, 2008

Samawa, Iraq.  Representatives of a U.S. State Department Reconstruction Team joined the 82nd Airborne to visit an orphanage on June 3rd in downtown Samawah, the capital city of the poorest of Iraq’s 18 provinces.  Eyes widened and hearts quickened as the 40 elementary school-aged children gathered in a classroom to receive donated toys and books from their American visitors.  One 11 year-old girl giggled with delight at her first stuffed animal—a white bear with eyes as big as those of its new owner.

ATM Cash Machine Comes to Iraq’s Diyala Province

May 28, 2008

Baqubah – Customers of Al’Warka’ Bank in rural Diyala province can now get instant cash from an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) because of improved security and an enterprising Iraqi private sector.

Iraqi Civil Servants Learn Computer Skills with PRT Help

May 28, 2008

Diyala Province – Provincial civil servants are gaining confidence and capacity to track and implement resources for development — made possible with increasing oil revenues — through computer training provided by the local Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT).

Iraqi Provinces Get Two New US Development Teams

May 26, 2008

Karbala and Najaf Provinces – A new chapter in the reconstruction and stabilization partnership between the United States and Iraq has begun with the establishment of two new PRTs (Provincial Reconstruction Teams) in southern Iraq.

Breathing the Same Air as Iraqi Counterparts

May 25, 2008

Tallil, Dhi Qar Province – Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) working directly with locals are being emulated as successful development models by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) like the United Nations/World Bank’s International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq (IRFFI).

PRT Provides Medical Supplies, Engineer Training for Iraq

May 20, 2008

Al Kut, Wasit Province – The Provisional Reconstruction Team (PRT) in this eastern province recently addressed a critical medical need when it partnered with Provincial Council members to supply 3,000 Blood Storage Bags to the Al Kut Blood Bank.

Securing The Iraqi Province…And The Relationship

May 20, 2008

Combat Outpost 6, Muthanna Province.  Representatives of the 82nd Airborne, Iraqi Police and Highway Patrol units, and the Muthanna Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) inaugurated a new Joint Security Site (JSS) on May 10th to facilitate the flow of information and resources between U.S. and Iraqi forces.

USIP Partners with PRTs to Further Reconciliation in Iraq

May 20, 2008

Baghdad – Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) like the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) are working closely with Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) to bring about understanding and tolerance among tribal leaders thus forming the basis for lasting security and economic recovery.

Seeds of Revitalization Planted at Iraqi Agricultural Fair

May 16, 2008

Al Wahdah, Baghdad Province – The first-ever agricultural fair was recently held in this farming district outside the capital with the help of U.S. Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) and their Coalition Forces partners.

Mozart Comes to Muthanna with PRT Help

May 16, 2008

Muthanna Province, Iraq — The families of Muthanna are mostly underprivileged, subsistence farmers who were long neglected during the years of Saddam’s regime.  On the United Nations’s Deprivation Index, Muthanna ranks last among all Iraqi provinces — eighteenth out of eighteen.  Unemployment hovers around 60% of the population.

USAID Farm Program Puts Money in Iraqi Pockets

May 16, 2008

Taji, Iraq – Hundreds of farmers in this rural district outside Baghdad are reporting double and triple production yields thanks to quality hybrid seed they received from the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) “Inma” agriculture program.

Building Capacity in Iraq One Life at a Time 

May 14, 2008

Baghdad – In the Intensive Recovery Unit (ICU) of a Coalition Forces hospital in the International Zone, Mahmoud Hassan al-Hadi slowly lowered himself to a chair and handed his crutches to Dan Bisbee, a member of  Baghdad’s Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT). Though clearly exhausted, Mahmoud was equally determined to thank the people around him for saving his life.

In Iraq Music Has No Boundaries, Only Bridges

May 14, 2008

Baghdad – Physical as well as mental boundaries have unfortunately divided people in this country.  But there are influences:  social, economic, and now cultural working to bring people and communities together, including the soothing and healing balm of music.

New Legs for Shahad:  Soldiers, PRT Help Iraqi IED Victim

May 12, 2008

Diyala Province, Iraq — It is the greatest tragedy of any conflict that children are killed and injured.  And victims like 10 year-old Shahad Abbas Aiez, who lost both legs to an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in November 2007, are proof that Iraq is no exception.

Popular Iraqi TV Show Makes Big Hit in Provinces

May 11, 2008

Al Kut, Wasit Province - A lucky audience in this town 125 kilometers southeast of Baghdad got a special treat May 3 with a free performance by the cast of the popular Iraqi Television show “Bait al-Teen” or Mud House.”

Air Force Partners with PRT to Improve Iraqi Living Conditions

May 11, 2008

KIRKUK – Members of the U.S. Air Force serving in northern Iraq recently teamed with the Kirkuk Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) on a project designed to help Iraqis improve waste management practices in the region.

PRT Success in Iraq is Not Just a Big Fish Tale

May 7, 2008

Baghdad Province – Fish and poultry production is being stepped up in agricultural areas near the capital with the help of an Embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team (EPRT) working closely with its military counterpart. 

Iraqi Regional Police Training Center Opens in Diyala

May 5, 2008

Trainees at the Diyala Pegional Police Training Center march in an Opening Ceremonies Parade.

Iraqi Mayors Attend Historic Cities Forum in Chicago

May 2, 2008

Mayors from more than a dozen Arab nations, including three representing Iraq cities, gathered in Chicago April 28-30 for the first ever U.S.-Arab Cities Forum hosted by Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley.

U.S. Sports Academy Honors Iraqi Soccer Team

May 1, 2008

Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker presents Team of the Year award to Minister of Youth and Sport Gassem Mohammed Jaafar.

PRT Helps Introduce New Military Unit to Muthanna

May 1, 2008

Muthanna Province, Iraq — The State Department’s Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) and elements of the 82nd Airborne Division are engaging in an unprecedented level of cooperation to affect a true reconstruction partnership with Iraqis in this southern province.

Water and Soil Quality are High Priority for PRT’s in Iraq

May 1, 2008

Diyala Province – With agriculture one of Iraq’s largest employers, water and soil quality are of prime importance to Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) working to upgrade farmers’ capacities to increase crop and livestock production.

PRT Medical Training Gives Hope to Iraqi Doctors

April 25, 2008

Nasiriyah, Dhi Qar -– Innovative medical training by U.S. military doctors working with Provisional Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) has given to hope to a group of Iraqi doctors long cut off from professional associations because of turmoil in their country.

PRT Initiative Connects Iraqi Students with World

April 25, 2008

Al Kut, Iraq –- An initiative that would expand the horizons of Iraqis beyond their village, district, province, and even the country itself is underway in Wasit province.

Iraqi Officials Learn of Millions PRT Devoted to Province

April 25, 2008

FORWARD OPERATING BASE DELTA, Iraq –- Iraqi officials in Wasit Province recently learned that since January 2007 more than $38 million dollars was spent on capacity-building projects in their region by Provisional Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) in cooperation with Coalition Forces.

PRT Kick-starts Soccer Outreach to Iraqi Kids

April 25, 2008

Muthanna Province — Barefoot kids and trash-strewn lots describe the state of soccer in this impoverished southern province today.  Even the province’s elite “Soccer School,” the only one of its kind to develop the talents of its most promising young athletes, has no soccer field to call its own.

Iraqi Farmers Invest in Nation’s future with PRT Help

April 18, 2008

Mosul – In the middle of a military push against Al Qaeda in Iraq, farmers in Ninewa Province are working across sectarian and ethnic lines to form diverse farmer associations spurring community cooperation as well as bringing hope for economic revitalization.

PRTs Indulge in Kebab Diplomacy in Iraq

April 17, 2008

Muthanna Province — Forty local farmers and sheikhs from Iraq’s southern-most province recently joined the Muthanna Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) and its military team members over a traditional Iraqi lunch to discuss agricultural needs of the community.

Sewing center Helps Empower Women in Iraq

April 17, 2008

AL-KUT, Iraq – A women’s sewing center officially opened in Muafiqiyah village April 10, providing both employment and training for local women thrust into the position of bread winners whose men have been killed or thrown out of work by terrorist actions.

Iraqi TV Journalists Learn Skills at PRT Workshop

April 16, 2008

Erbil — Kurdistan Region television journalists learned new techniques at a two-week training program in March and proved to be excellent students and colleagues, according to the American media expert who helped upgrade their media skills.

Increasing Engineers Target of PRTs in Iraq

April 15, 2008

Wasit Province, Iraq – As Iraq strives to overcome decades of government mismanagement and neglect, increasing the number of engineers is essential to design, contract, construct and maintain the country’s infrastructure, says Roberto Bran, Wasit Provincial Reconstruction Team’s (PRT) engineer development program manager.

Iraqis Gain Cardiac Training Courtesy of PRT

April 14, 2008

Dhi Qar Province — Twelve medical residents from Samawa General Hospital in neighboring Muthanna Province received cardiac training April 10 in a day-long session led by U.S. Army Brigade Surgeon Colonel Thomas Dove, a cardiologist working with the Provisional Reconstruction Teams (PRT) operating in southern Iraq.

Dispatch from PRT Volunteer in Iraq

April 13, 2008

Mosul — If it is a clear day you can look out over this city from Forward Operating Base (FOB) Marez and it looks like any other city in any country.  You can barely see the destruction and the damaged buildings caused by terrorists that become evident as you travel through the city of just over two million inhabitants.

PRTs Mark Earth Day in Iraq with Palm Tree Donation

April 13, 2008

Al-Hillah – Iraq’s reputation as one of the world’s leading producers of dates is being resurrected with the help of a Provisional Reconstruction Team (PRT) that recently donated 1,000 date palm trees to Babil Province.

Rebuilding Iraq Requires Cement, PRTS Told

April 11, 2008

Muthanna — As demand increases in Iraq’s new era of reconstruction, industry leaders in the cement business are keen to learn more about modern management and finance. They know that rebuilding Iraq requires lots of cement, and they are well positioned to make it happen.

School Laptop Project comes to Fruition in Iraq

April 11, 2008

Combat Outpost 6, Muthanna — It’s a long way from technologically-rich Cambridge, Massachusetts to Iraq’s poorest war-torn province – Muthanna.  But the distance just got smaller because of a recent agreement to initiate training in both Cambridge and in smaller desert communities to implement the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC ) program.

PRTs Promote the Rights of Women in Iraq

April 7, 2008

Taji – “Although women have had certain constitutional rights [in Iraq], these often have proven insufficient to permit women to strive for and enjoy the same opportunities and quality of life as men,” says U.S. Army Colonel George Phelan, the Rule of Law Adviser and Women’ Rights Advocate for Embedded Provincial Reconstruction (EPRT) Team located outside Baghdad.

PRTs Help to Bolster Local Self Government in Iraq

April 4, 2008

Taji – “Security and effective local government go hand in hand” and are essential for reconstruction and stabilization, says Embedded Provincial Reconstruction (EPRT) Team Leader Thomas Burke.

Burke, a career Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State, made his comments to Embassy Public Affairs Counselor Philip T. Reeker during Reeker’s March 14 visit to the team’s headquarters in Taji located outside Baghdad.

Iraqi Scouts Help to Transcend and Heal Wounds

March 24, 2008

Baghdad – Members of the Boy and Girl Scouts of Iraq recently paid a visit to a U.S. Military hospital bearing gifts of thanks and consolation for its patients and staff.  Armed with popcorn and smiles, the Scouts treated both Coalition and Iraqi patients to cheer and snack food, called comfort food in America, as they visited treatment wards.

General Petraeus Lauds PRT Volunteers

March 23, 2008

Baghdad – The more than 800 volunteers on U.S. Provisional Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) in Iraq are critical to success in the war on terrorism and to the well-being of the Iraqi people, says Coalition Forces Commander General David Petraeus.

The PRTs were a “very key element of the civilian surge over the course of the past year,” Petraeus said during a recent interview on the Good Morning America television show.

PRTs Help Rekindle Iraqi Entrepreneurship

March 22, 2008

Taji — “The Iraqis have an entrepreneurial instinct which is at least as strong as ours,” says Embedded Provincial Reconstruction (EPRT) member Bill Olds.

Olds, the USAID Representative on the team operating out of Taji, a town in Baghdad District, made his comments to Embassy Public Affairs Counselor Philip T. Reeker during a visit the Counselor made to the team’s headquarters on March 14.

Iraq Proves Fertile Ground for Rule of Law Programs

March 18, 2008

Baghdad – Following a year of partnering with Iraqis to improve their judicial system, U.S. Embassy Rule of Law Coordinator Jim Santelle reflected over what he termed the “steady effort” that proved as fulfilling as any work he ever did as a U.S. Federal prosecutor.

Not all Americans serving in Iraq wear military uniforms

March 17, 2008

U.S. State Department employee Sarah Francia was nearing the end of her career and looking for one last adventurous assignment.

“I went to the Middle East bureau that handles Iraq in the department and told them to take me now,” she said. “Of course, they did.”

Iraqi Women Celebrate Spirited Women’s Day with PRT

March 14, 2008

Dhi Qar, Iraq — “The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.” These words from the famous poet William Ross Wallace are the ones that Shaza Al-Qaisi - leader of a civil society forum - chose to start off a spirited speech in front of 130 people, most of whom were women – at an International Women’s Day event sponsored by the region’s Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT).

Iraqis Get Taste of American Society, Values with IVLP Visit

March 13, 2008

Baghdad – Contacts with Americans left a lasting impression on Iraqis who traveled to the United States recently courtesy of the State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), according to experiences they shared at an alumni reception hosted by the Embassy’s Cultural Affairs Office.

Iraqis “Ambitious” to Upgrade Agricultural Sector

March 12, 2008

Baghdad – The Iraqi government is determined to resurrect the nation’s status as the “Fertile Crescent” and breadbasket of the region while providing jobs for an agricultural workforce hard hit by a neglected and deteriorating infrastructure.

PRT Helps Anbar Province After ‘Long Night of Battle’

March 11, 2008

Forward Operating Base (FOB) Camp Ramadi, Anbar — The best “good news” story coming out of Iraq’s Anbar Province in 2008 is the dearth of “bad news” stories.  In September 2006, some U.S. military intelligence analysts declared the province completely lost to Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) and Sunni insurgents.  However, the U.S. troop “surge” of 2007, as well as the rejection of AQI by Anbar’s Sunni tribes, resulted in one of the more secure provinces in the country.

Dispatch from Iraq: Winning the Peace 

March 10, 2008

One night in April 2007, we boarded the Marine CH-46 helicopter at Taji, Iraq. It had to be a night flight to avoid the possibility of ground fire.  Having just completed our week-long counter-insurgency training, my two-man core team and I were en route to our final destination at Camp Belleau Wood and the 6th Regimental Combat Team located within Camp Fallujah, Iraq.  We would spend the next year embedded with a Marine tactical combat unit, working in partnership throughout the 1,900 square mile battle space known as Area of Operation Raleigh.

Rx for Iraq:  American Engagement with Medical Community

March 10, 2008

Samawa, Iraq.  U.S. Army doctor Colonel Thomas Dove made history March 4th as the first American physician to address his medical counterparts at Samawa Hospital in the capital city of Muthanna province.

The topic of his lecture to the 30 Iraqi physicians was: “Managing Heart Attack Patients” and according to hospital director Dr. Khalid Kharnoub it was the first time an American had come to address his staff.

Utica native helps rebuild Iraq

March 10, 2008

Utica, New York - Every time Mary Ann Penree of Deerfield reads an article about the war in Iraq, she thinks of her cousin Phyllis Powers. Powers, a Utica native, has been in Baghdad for more than a year serving as the director of the Office of Provincial Affairs. “She has a very prestigious job and we are very proud of her,” Penree said. “But it does make me nervous.”

Iraqi Women Form Backbone of Family

March 10, 2008

Hawr Rajab, Iraq – With violence appreciably down since Coalition Forces began a surge in operations a year ago, civil society is beginning to sprout with the help of women who have traditionally formed the backbone of their communities especially in troubled times.

Hosting Iraqis the Traditional Way

February 8, 2008

Al Toum, Iraq - local officials, farmers and Coalition Force members now have a welcoming place to meet with each other and discuss development issues thanks to the efforts of a U.S. Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) operating in Iraq’s southern Muthanna province. Political Counselor Matt Tueller, who was visiting from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, helped inaugurate the guesthouse known in Arabic as a “mudhif”. PRT Leader Paul O’Friel, whose team helped fund the structure, joined the diplomat at the February 5 event.

Iraqi Journalists Gain Skills from U.S. Workshop

January 24, 2008

Dahuk City – Iraqi citizens will soon get a clearer view of the successes and challenges facing their nation thanks to an innovative training partnership between a leading Iraqi non-governmental organization (NGO) and a U.S. Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) aimed at upgrading the reporting skills of radio, TV and print journalists.

Iraqi, American Poetry Reading Bridges Cultural Divides

January 22, 2008

Baghdad — The power of poetry to transcend politics and bridge cultural divides came alive January 15 at the First Annual Iraqi/American Poetry Reading, sponsored by the U.S. Embassy in partnership with the Iraqi Tawasin Cultural Society.

Highway Official leaving to Help Rebuild Iraq

January 22, 2008

Hutchinson, Kansas – Martin Miller had received job e-mails from the Federal Government over the past few years, but he never opened them.  After all, he wasn’t looking for a job.

Mechanics Training for Iraqi Army Fuels Engine for Change

January 2, 2008

Baghdad – One hundred and eighty-nine smiling Iraqi Jundi (soldiers)  received certificates for the successful completion of a rigorous 10-week mechanics course December 30 knowing they will now play an integral role as engines for change powering their Army.

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Friday, June 27, 2008

The Taliban beheaded 2 Afghan “spies” with swords today in front of thousands of villagers in Damadola, Pakistan.
The Taliban called the locals to the rally using the loudspeakers of the village mosques.

‘Spies’: Pakistani Taliban get ready to execute the two Afghans - one a former Taliban fighter - accused of spying for the US. (Daily Mail)

The Taliban is back to holding their public executions before the masses.
The Daily Mail reported:

In a shocking display of hardline violence, Taliban militants in northwest Pakistan publicly slit the throats of two Afghans today after they were accused of spying for US forces suspected of launching a missile strike in May.

The two men, one of them a former Taliban fighter, were brought blindfolded before a crowd of several thousand people near the village of Damadola in the Bajaur region on the Afghan border before they were executed.

The crowd shouted: “Allahu Akbar” (God is Greatest) when the Taliban held up the severed heads of the victims who Rehman said were from the eastern Afghan province of Kunar.  Story Continues at: Gateway Pundit

Friday, 27 June 2008

2nd Lt. Stephan Shuster, a platoon leader with B Company, 1st Battalion, 125th Infantry Regiment, watches activities near the Ramadi Ministry of Health during a Personnel Security Detail mission. The Soldiers of B Co. conduct several PSD missions each week to safeguard service members and civilians working to support the ever-strengthening Iraqi municipal government. Official photo by Senior Chief Petty Officer Gary Boucher.

CAMP RAMADI — Hot wind swirled orange dust around idling Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles as 2nd Lt. Stephan Shuster, platoon leader, described the day’s mission to the combat-equipped force. The troops mounted their vehicles and headed for the heart of the provincial capital city of Ramadi.What might have been a hair-raising combat mission just a year ago is today a trip to securely deliver civil-military operations personnel to the Ministry of Health for a meeting with Iraqi officials. And the combat gear? Well, that is a precaution, not a preparation for battle.

Shuster and other Soldiers from B Company, 1st Battalion, 125th Infantry Regiment of the Michigan National Guard, otherwise known as Task Force Viking, make several of these type trips all around Ramadi each week. These Personnel Security Detail (PSD) missions help ensure that reconstruction work continues unabated by safeguarding the servicemembers and civilians working to support the ever-strengthening municipal government.

According to 1st Lt. Ryan Senn, company commander in charge of coordinating all the PSD movements, the main role of the PSD operations is to provide security and transportation to the civil-military operations and provincial reconstruction teams at Camp Ramadi. This includes making sure buildings like the Ministry of Health are secure, both inside and out.

The unit has conducted more than 170 PSD missions since arriving and assuming their security responsibilities in late April. “We average two destinations per mission. The highest number of destinations we’ve had on one mission has been eight,” said Senn.

The missions run six days a week with one day set aside for equipment maintenance and recuperation, he added.

Although Al Anbar