"PRT Dhi Qar: Italian Expertise, Generosity and Cooperation with the United States", Op-ed by U.S. Ambassador David H. Thorne
The U.S. Ambassador Thorne
Rome, June 8, 2011
The following article appeared on the daily "Il Tempo" of June 8, 2011
David H. Thorne
U.S. Ambassador to Italy
(This is the English version of an Op-Ed originally released in Italian)
On June 8, Foreign Minister Frattini will preside over a ceremony in southern Iraq to celebrate the lasting achievements of one of the most effective but least known examples of Italian-American cooperation in post-war Iraq: the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Dhi Qar.
PRT Dhi Qar, which will complete its mission this month, is one of more than a dozen civilian-military teams that have been providing development assistance in Iraq’s provinces since 2005. The team in Dhi Qar is unique because it is an Italian initiative supported by the United States, making it the only PRT in Iraq to currently led by a U.S. ally. Despite the challenges of harsh living conditions and a sometimes volatile security environment, PRT Dhi Qar and its counterparts have assisted Iraq’s reconstruction in countless ways: by building schools and infrastructure, training doctors and teachers, and strengthening the professional competence of elected officials in Iraq’s nascent democracy.
Such is the legacy that will be celebrated when Foreign Minister Frattini, joined by Deputy Chief of Mission Stuart Jones, and provincial Iraqi leaders at a simple closing ceremony near the U.S. base from which the team in Dhi Qar has operated since it was established in 2006. On this historic occasion, I want to recall Italy’s tireless efforts, sacrifices, and the generous Italian funding and expertise that has improved the lives of so many Iraqis
The PRT in Dhi Qar was established by former Italian Ambassador to Iraq Gianludovico De Martino as a labor of love and a vessel for humanitarian service. Since 2006 the Italian Mission has focused its resources on improving Iraqi health care by training Iraqi physicians and nurses. The Italian-American health team provided midwife and anesthesiology training in a multi-million-Euro mobile medical facility purchased by the Government of Italy. With U.S. logistical support, a team of twenty Italian doctors and nurses performed corrective cleft lip and palate surgery on hundreds of Iraqi children over the past four years and trained Iraqi medical staff in performing this relatively simple procedure that literally brings a smile to a child’s face and changes his or her life for the better.
In another model of cooperation that will touch the everyday lives of the people of Dhi Qar, the PRT combined Italian and U.S. funds to build a dairy factory that will allow farmers in the nearby marshlands to sell to urban consumers for the first time. The dairy factory will turn fresh milk from farmers’ collectives into butter, cheese, yoghurt and pasteurized milk. Italy trained the workers; the United States provided equipment and the Iraqi provincial leaders donated the building. The equipment is in place and the workers are trained; as soon as an agreement is reached between a private investor who has already been identified and the provincial government, the factory will begin operations. Thanks to this PRT initiative, urban dwellers in Nasiriyah will enjoy local dairy products while the marshland farmers earn more money.
These are just a few of many examples of Italian–American cooperation and goodwill achieving common goals in Iraq. Although the Italian and American flags will come down together at the PRT in Dhi Qar this week, I hope we will find new opportunities and sustain the spirit of US-Italian partnership and innovation embodied in this mission. And I take this opportunity to thank the government of Italy, the brave and creative Dhi Qar team, and all Italians for having accomplished so much in rebuilding Iraq.