Misplaced Pages

#472527

56-659: In 2007, American soldiers guarded Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Arghistan. They left in late 2014 and the Afghan National Security Forces took over their responsibilities. In December 2020, work was completed on a dam that can store up to 126,000 cubic meters of water. 2014 On September 8, In an evening attack on police headquarters in Arghistan District in Kan- dahar Province,

112-467: A Taliban suicide bomber killed district police chief Abdul Manaf and his 2 guards and wounded 6 other police officers. 2018 On July 16, The Taliban attacked a police checkpoint in Arghistan district in Kandahar Province during the night, killing nine policemen and wounding seven. Some 25 Taliban were killed and 15 wounded. This Kandahar Province , Afghanistan location article

168-538: A US-led PRT, this generally included a representative from USAID , the Department of State , the Department of Agriculture , and the Department of Justice . They were assisted by public diplomacy and reporting staff. The PRTs were the primary civil-military relations tool in Afghanistan and Iraq and have been described as "'a means to extend the reach and enhance the legitimacy of the central government'" into

224-804: A form of public diplomacy. During the 1970s, the Kuomintang during the tenure of Executive Yuan Premier Chiang Ching-kuo organized a people's diplomacy campaign in the United States in an effort to mobilize American political sentiment in opposition to the PRC through mass demonstrations and petitions. Among these efforts, the KMT worked with the John Birch Society to launch a petition writing campaign through which Americans were urged to write their local government officials and ask them to "Cut

280-458: A relationship has largely been anecdotal. Empirical studies on aid worker insecurity in Afghanistan have failed to show a statistically significant relationship between attacks on NGOs and their proximity to the military in general and PRTs specifically. Watts (2004) did not find evidence indicating heightened aid worker insecurity in provinces where the US military was present. Similarly, Mitchell (2015)

336-509: A time. The training took anywhere from six weeks to three months. After returning from an international conference in Munich in mid-February 2011, Afghan President Hamid Karzai accused foreign reconstruction teams of undermining efforts to build up the state's institutions, and said they would have to go as Afghan forces take over security. "Afghanistan clearly explained its viewpoint on Provincial Reconstruction Teams and structures parallel to

392-577: A unit prior to deployment. There was no lead agency or department; the US government civilians and the military commander form an executive committee of equals which developed a strategy for the PRT, drawing on the expertise of all contributing agencies. By 2009, the military still dominated the role within PRTs as only three to four civilians were posted to each team of eighty to two hundred and fifty personnel. The lack of civilian personnel civilian executive agencies

448-613: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Provincial Reconstruction Team A Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) was a unit introduced by the United States government , consisting of military officers, diplomats, and reconstruction subject matter experts, working to support reconstruction efforts in unstable states. PRTs were first established in Afghanistan in early 2002, and were used in Iraq as well. While

504-486: Is any of the various government-sponsored efforts aimed at communicating directly with foreign publics to establish a dialogue designed to inform and influence with the aim of building support for the state's strategic objectives. These also include propaganda . As the international order has changed over the twentieth century, so has the practice of public diplomacy. Its practitioners use a variety of instruments and methods ranging from personal contact and media interviews to

560-562: Is expanded on with the idea of adopting what is called "population-centric foreign affairs" within which foreign populations assume a central component of foreign policy. Since people, not just states, are of global importance in a world where technology and migration increasingly face everyone, an entire new door of policy is opened. Soon after its founding, the People's Republic of China institutionalized its view of public diplomacy as "people's diplomacy" ( renmin waijiao ). People's diplomacy

616-461: Is one such role, and probably the most important. – Carnes Lord (former deputy director of USIA), professor of statecraft and civilization, October 1998 Public diplomacy – effectively communicating with publics around the globe – to understand, value and even emulate America's vision and ideas; historically one of America's most effective weapons of outreach, persuasion and policy. – Jill A. Schuker (former senior director for public affairs at

SECTION 10

#1732780907473

672-435: Is played out, in order to reduce the degree to which misperceptions and misunderstandings complicate relations between the U.S. and other nations." Standard diplomacy might be described as the ways in which government leaders communicate with each other at the highest levels, the elite diplomacy we are all familiar with. Public diplomacy, by contrast focuses on the ways in which a country (or multilateral organization such as

728-860: The International Security Assistance Force . Also, some funding came from USAID; namely under the Community Stabilization Program (CSP); the Local Governance Program (LGP); Community Action Program (CAP); Izdihar Economic Growth Program; and the INMA Agri-business Program. Additional sources were: the Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund (IRRF), the Commander's Emergency Response Program (CERP)

784-817: The Iraq War troop surge of 2007 , the number of PRTs was expanded to cover every province in the country. Additionally, ePRTs were rolled out to work with the sub-provincial levels of government. By 2008, there were 31 PRTs, including 13 ePRTs, located throughout Iraq. Beginning in 2008, a PRT including USDA agricultural advisers worked with Iraqi farmers and created the Green Mada'in Association for Agricultural Development , an agricultural cooperative of 800 farmers in Mada'in Qada. The book, We Meant Well: How I Helped Lose

840-610: The 2nd Battalion, 504th Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division provided security in and around the compound. The sole civilian when the PRT became fully operational on February 1, 2003, was Thomas Praster of the State Department. At the end of March, he was joined by US Army Lieutenant Colonel Randolph Hampton, who worked under contract with the USAID providing overwatch to the rebuilding of schools and medical clinics throughout Paktia , Khost, and Ghazni Provinces . Security

896-553: The Afghan government - private security companies and all activities or bodies which are hindering the Afghan government's development and hindering the governance of Afghanistan," he said. Meanwhile, five rocket-propelled grenades hit a newly built South Korean military base in Parwan Province , northern Afghanistan, which housed hundreds of members of Korea's provincial reconstruction team and civilian aid workers. No one

952-735: The Battle for Iraqi Hearts and Minds , by former PRT Team Leader Peter Van Buren , covers the Green Mada'in and other reconstruction projects in Iraq. PRTs are no longer operative in Iraq. Many NGOs were critical of PRT activity, claiming that the mixture of humanitarian and military operations had "blurred the line" between combatant and civilian. Organizations such as Save the Children, CARE International, and InterAction have all complained that PRTs put aid workers at risk. However, evidence of such

1008-540: The Department of State (June 20, 1997), public diplomacy meant "seek[ing] to promote the national interest of the United States through understanding, informing and influencing foreign audiences." According to Hans N. Tuch, author of Communicating With the World (St. Martin's Press, NY, 1990), public diplomacy is "official government efforts to shape the communications environment overseas in which American foreign policy

1064-540: The NATO-led ISAF mission beginning on October 5, 2006 . The training for the majority of the American PRTs took place at Fort Bragg, North Carolina , and was later moved to Camp Atterbury, Indiana. The training was overseen by the 189th Infantry Brigade , which specialized in training PRTs. Other units, including the 158th Infantry Brigade , supported the 189th as it trained the PRTs in groups of twelve at

1120-540: The National Security Council), July 2004 Public diplomacy's 21st century trend is dominated by fractal globalization, preemptive military invasion, information and communication technologies that shrink time and distance, and the rise of global non-state actors (terror networks, bloggers) that challenge state-driven policy and discourse on the subject. – Nancy Snow, Routledge Handbook of Public Diplomacy , Public diplomacy may be defined, simply, as

1176-448: The PRTs was to "enhance their popular legitimacy of the provincial government by developing their capacity to conduct reconstruction and provide effective governance." In order for the civilian population to feel secure the PRTs needed to enhance effectiveness and strength of the provincial government in the area. In order to support the counterinsurgency efforts PRTs built government legitimacy by reconstruction and development to separate

SECTION 20

#1732780907473

1232-458: The Red China connection." There are many methods and instruments that are used in public diplomacy. International broadcasting remains a key element in public diplomacy in the 21st century, with traditionally weaker states having the opportunity to challenge the hegemony and monopoly of information provided by more powerful states. Methods such as personal contact, broadcasters such as

1288-453: The U.S. counterinsurgency efforts in Afghanistan. Projects supported by PRTs were created and approved by the ranks of the entire provincial government in Afghanistan. The ability of PRTS to conduct Public diplomacy and their ability to work with the provincial government made counterinsurgency objectives obtainable. The PRT's civil affairs line of operation exerted a large amount of public diplomacy. CA operations were responsible, along with

1344-469: The U.S. government in a host country primarily by maintaining relations and conducting official business with the officials of the host government whereas public diplomacy primarily engages many diverse non-government elements of a society. Film, television, music, sports, video games and other social/cultural activities are seen by public diplomacy advocates as enormously important avenues for otherwise diverse citizens to understand each other and integral to

1400-428: The U.S. military. Information operations associated with PRTs are also a vital aspect to conducting public diplomacy in order to defeat insurgencies . It is imperative that all actors in the counterinsurgency effort coordinate what they are relaying to the public that they are operating in. These operations can include psychological operations , operational security , and military deception operations to deceive

1456-786: The United Nations) communicates with citizens in other societies. A country may be acting deliberately or inadvertently, and through both official and private individuals and institutions. Effective public diplomacy starts from the premise that dialogue, rather than a sales pitch, is often central to achieving the goals of foreign policy: public diplomacy must be seen as a two-way street. Furthermore, public diplomacy activities often present many differing views as represented by private American individuals and organizations in addition to official U.S. government views. Traditional diplomacy actively engages one government with another government. In traditional diplomacy, U.S. Embassy officials represent

1512-406: The concepts are similar, PRTs in Afghanistan and Iraq had separate compositions and missions. Their common purpose, however, was to empower local governments to govern their constituents more effectively. A PRT included a military component ( Civil Affairs /Force Protection, etc.), civilian police advisors, and civilian representatives of US (or other national) government foreign affairs agencies. In

1568-590: The conduct of international relations by governments through public communications media and through dealings with a wide range of nongovernmental entities (political parties, corporations, trade associations, labor unions, educational institutions, religious organizations, ethnic groups, and so on including influential individuals) for the purpose of influencing the politics and actions of other governments. – Alan K. Henrikson, Professor of Diplomatic History, April 2005. Public diplomacy that traditionally represents actions of governments to influence overseas publics within

1624-447: The contractors failed the performance work standard, the engineer could recommend that the PRT withhold funds until project deficiencies were corrected. The project could also be cancelled. One of the issues that held up a project was sustainability. If the project was not self-sustaining, such as an electric utility in a small village or town, it would not be approved by higher headquarters. Mandated 'Terms of Use' contracts were signed by

1680-671: The effectiveness of their public diplomacy. The United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy was established in the late 1940s to evaluate American public diplomacy effort. The commission is a seven-member bipartisan board whose members are nominated by the President and confirmed by the United States Senate . William Hybl is the current chair, and other members include former Ambassadors Lyndon Olson and Penne Percy Korth Peacock , as well as Jay Snyder , John E. Osborn and Lezlee Westine. This traditional concept

1736-626: The end user of the projects to insure PRTs were providing a self-sufficient resource and would not be responsible for its upkeep. One year guarantee on contractor workmanship was standard. Other funds that were not used by the Civil Affairs Section: the Development Fund for Iraq. (DFI) and funding targeted specifically for USAID Focused Stabilization, Community Action and Local Governance Program (LGP) as well as PRT development funding. The overall PRT concept in Afghanistan

Arghistan District - Misplaced Pages Continue

1792-512: The enemy. Information operations assist civil affairs, medical outreach, and agricultural projects by providing information to the local Afghani's about counterinsurgency projects and illustrating beneficial effects of them to the community. These operations, as a part of PRTs, enabled to the civilians to see how the U.S. military-civilian efforts work secure their society and defeat the insurgents influence. Information operations must be consistent between civilian and military operations. The goal of

1848-467: The environment, including the people, places, and culture of their section of the province. In addition to the military cooperation with the provincial government, civilian agencies like the U.S. department of Agriculture and the U.S. Agency for International Development, had a strong hand in the projects structured by the PRTs. For example, these agencies worked together to improve farming techniques and introduce ways to bring goods to local markets to meet

1904-734: The foreign policy process has expanded today—by accident and design—beyond the realm of governments to include the media, multinational corporations, NGO's and faith-based organizations as active participants in the field. – Crocker Snow Jr., Acting Director Edward R. Murrow Center, May 2005. Public diplomacy refers to government-sponsored programs intended to inform or influence public opinion in other countries; its chief instruments are publications, motion pictures, cultural exchanges, radio and television. – U.S. Department of State, Dictionary of International Relations Terms , 1987, p. 85 The United States Information Agency (USIA), which

1960-535: The hope of developing "foreign friends" who would lobby their governments to improve relations with China. In the context of China-United States relations , one of the most prominent instances of people's diplomacy was the ping-pong diplomacy which arose following a conversation between Chinese and American players at the 1971 World Championships in Nagoya, Japan. China's approach to keeping these exchanges unofficial and conduct them through non-governmental agencies

2016-554: The increasing demand rather than taking them into Pakistan. PRTs' interaction with the Afghan people enhanced U.S. public relations and allow the civilians of Afghanistan to trust the American presence in their domain. The only way that the counterinsurgency in Afghanistan can achieve victory is through long-term patience and keeping the people's political will through the Provincial Reconstruction Teams in

2072-517: The insurgents from the people and to instill trust in U.S. COIN operations. In order for these Provincial Reconstruction Teams to be successful at building the populations trust and security in the provincial government and not in the insurgents, the PRTs needed to utilize a large amount of public diplomacy to reach out to the civilians of these Afghan provinces. The main funding for Afghan PRTs came from Provincial Reconstruction and Development Committee (PRDC) and Quick Response Fund (QRF) programs under

2128-440: The international cultural understanding, which they state is a key goal of modern public diplomacy strategy. It involves not only shaping the message(s) that a country wishes to present abroad, but also analyzing and understanding the ways that the message is interpreted by diverse societies and developing the tools of listening and conversation as well as the tools of persuasion. One of the most successful initiatives which embodies

2184-494: The internet and educational exchanges. Over time, the concept and definition of public diplomacy has evolved, as demonstrated by the following statements from various practitioners: The most important roles public diplomacy will have to play for the United States in the current international environment will be less grand-strategic and more operational than during the Cold War. Support of national policy in military contingencies

2240-631: The principles of effective public diplomacy is the creation by international treaty in the 1950s of the European Coal and Steel Community which later became the European Union . Its original purpose after World War II was to tie the economies of Europe together so much that war would be impossible. Supporters of European integration see it as having achieved both this goal and the extra benefit of catalysing greater international understanding as European countries did more business together and

2296-475: The provinces of Afghanistan. A PRT in Afghanistan was commanded by a military officer, generally of the rank of Lieutenant Colonel (USAF) or Commander (USN). The officer was supported by a team of various specialties including civil affairs, engineers, medical staff, public affairs, information operations, logistics and a platoon of National Guard soldiers for security. The staff generally numbered between sixty and one hundred persons and trained together as

Arghistan District - Misplaced Pages Continue

2352-405: The provincial government, for implementation and supervision of projects in the province. These projects included public affairs like humanitarian supply distribution, like school and medical supplies. Civil affairs operations were responsible for reaching out to the population to determine what is needed to make society stable and secure from the insurgent ideology. To do this they had to get to know

2408-482: The team. Functional areas included rule of law, reconstruction and development, agriculture, and governance. Some Iraq PRTs were embedded into the Brigade Combat Team (BCT) with which they are colocated (ePRT). The BCT retained responsibility for providing security for the civilian team members. While PRTs in Afghanistan focused on short-term effects and ensuring an attractive alternative to the insurgency

2464-586: The term has come back into vogue as the United States government works to improve their reputation abroad, particularly in the Middle East and among those in the Islamic world. Numerous panels, including those sponsored by the Council on Foreign Relations , have evaluated American efforts in public diplomacy since 9/11 and have written reports recommending that the United States take various actions to improve

2520-460: The ties among member states' citizens increased. Opponents of European integration are leery of a loss of national sovereignty and greater centralization of power. Public diplomacy has been an essential element of American foreign policy for decades. It was an important tool in influencing public opinion during the Cold War with the former Soviet Union . Since the attacks of September 11, 2001,

2576-619: The use of funding for the salaries of government officials. The monies could not be used by police or security forces. CERP projects from up to $ 200,000 had to be approved by the Task Force Commander. The contracts were written in US Engineering standards. The Army usually paid by electronic funds transfer as pay agents are discouraged from paying cash to contractors in Afghanistan. The projects were paid in phases. Engineers worked through project details with contractors. If

2632-529: Was a serious concern of CENTCOM commanders. Activities in Afghanistan focused on extending the reach of the central government into the provinces. In an Iraq PRT, the Team Leader was a civilian who reports to the US Department of State; the deputy team leader was generally a military officer. While civil affairs members were present on the team, there were more civilians than military personnel on

2688-411: Was always an issue as the 100 by 125 foot mud-walled compound was attacked over 35 times by 105 mm rockets and RPGs . The PRT initiative expanded throughout most of the provinces for the purpose of reconstruction and reconciliation programs throughout Afghanistan. The 1st Provincial Reconstruction Team laid the critical cornerstones to future PRT initiatives throughout Afghanistan. PRTs were part of

2744-435: Was available, Iraq PRTs focused on building the governance capacity at the local levels of government. Public diplomacy was an essential element to successful Provincial Reconstruction Team projects. PRTs, in Afghanistan, were tasked with a specific area of a province and coordinate, develop, and fund local projects with the aid of the government. These projects enabled the local population to become familiar with and trust

2800-566: Was expressed through the slogan, "influence the policy through the people." Pursuant to its people's diplomacy, China sent doctors, scientists, and athletes to developing countries in Asia to cultivate ties. This form of people's diplomacy was often executed through the Chinese Communist Party 's International Liaison Department . People's diplomacy with the capitalist countries sought to cultivate informal, non-state ties in

2856-439: Was generally well-received by U.S. civil society groups and academics. Sister city initiatives are an increasingly widespread mechanism for Chinese public diplomacy. From the early 2000s until 2024, the number of China's sister city relationships doubled. More than one-third of Chinese sister city relationships are with sister cities in the east Asia Pacific region. People's Daily has described Confucius Institutes as

SECTION 50

#1732780907473

2912-597: Was injured in the attack, but it came hours after a visit by South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin , raising suspicions of Taliban involvement. The opening ceremony of the base was postponed indefinitely. PRTs ceased operations by 2013 and are no longer operative in Afghanistan. The PRT concept was imported from Afghanistan into Iraq in 2005. That year, 10 PRTs were established in Nineveh , at-Ta'Mim , Saladin , Diyala , Basra (UK), Dhi Qar (Italy), Erbil (South Korea), Baghdad , Anbar , and Babil . As part of

2968-720: Was the main fund used by the United States Army or USMC Civil Affairs Teams in both Iraq and Afghanistan. By the new regulations that came out in early 2009, the Iraqi Government has to pay half (50%) of projects above $ 750,000. CERP Officers had authority to sign agreements with contractors up to $ 200,000. The Pay Agent disbursed cash or paid by electronic transfer (EFT) in Afghanistan. The PRT Commander (LTC or CDR) could approve projects up to $ 25,000. CERP guidelines required that development projects be coordinated through and sustained by local governments and prohibit

3024-505: Was the main government agency in charge of public diplomacy until it merged with the Department of State in 1999, described it as "seek[ing] to promote the national interest and the national security of the United States through understanding, informing, and influencing foreign publics and broadening dialogue between American citizens and institutions and their counterparts abroad." For the Planning Group for Integration of USIA into

3080-552: Was to use relatively small joint civil-military units to achieve three objectives. PRT objectives were to improve security, to extend the authority of the Afghan central government, and finally to facilitate reconstruction. The first PRT was located in Gardez in Paktia Province , co-located with US Special Forces "A" team members. A Civil Affairs team provided the daily contact with locals and tribal leaders. A contingent of

3136-517: Was unable to discover a relationship between attacks against NGOs and their proximity to US-led PRTs. In addition, Refugees International made the observation that the cost of PRTs undertaking small-scale reconstruction projects was far higher than the same projects could be accomplished by NGOs and development agencies and recommended that PRTs focus on maintaining security rather than acting as aid agencies. Public diplomacy In international relations , public diplomacy broadly speaking,

#472527