Sunday, November 20
AFGHAN COPS COME TO AMERICA, GET HINTS FROM OUR COPS, RETURN
| November 20, 2005 KABUL , Afghanistan – Senior Afghan National Police officers recently returned from a trip to the United States where they met with key leaders from the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division and officers from several U.S. law enforcement agencies. Brig. Gen. Sahki Baiani, special advisor to the chief of the Afghan National Police, and Col. Wasim Azimi, chief of Operations for the Afghan Ministry of Interior, toured Fort Drum , N.Y. , and local law enforcement agencies to view modern U.S. police stations and law enforcement methods. The primary purpose of the Fort Drum visit was to participate in the Afghanistan orientation briefings for Operation Unified Endeavor, where the Afghan delegation briefed 10th Mountain Division leaders on the ANP and Afghanistan ’s police reform. The forum allowed U.S. Soldiers, who will deploy to Afghanistan early next year, to ask questions of both the Afghan officials and their escort from the Office of Security Cooperation–Afghanistan, Army Maj. Michael Adelberg. It also gave Baiani the opportunity to address the Division’s troops on behalf of the Afghan people. Operation United Endeavor was an exercise that provided the 10th Mountain Division the opportunity to test its plans and procedures for deploying its Soldiers to Afghanistan , where they will serve as the command and control element for the Coalition’s operations against the Taliban and al-Qaeda forces. Members from other Armed Services and federal agencies also participated in the joint training event to prepare for the division’s deployment. “I would like to thank you for all that you have done for the people of Afghanistan ,” Baiani said. “Four years ago you helped us get rid of the Taliban, and now you are returning to help us rebuild our country. The United States became my home when I was forced to leave Afghanistan , and now I am happy that you are coming back to my home to help us.” Baiani left Afghanistan when the Socialists sentenced him to death in the turmoil before the Soviet invasion. He eventually settled in Plano , Texas , where he lived until returning to Afghanistan in 2002. Azimi spent eight years as a prisoner in the Pol-e-Charki Prison during the Soviet-Afghan War. Following his release, he lived in Pakistan and eventually moved to Australia in 1999. He also returned to Afghanistan in 2002. In addition to meeting with the 10th Mountain leaders, Baiani and Azimi also had the opportunity to visit the Fort Drum Military Police Station, the Watertown , N.Y. , Police Department, and a New York State Police Barracks. They received briefings from U.S. police officials on civilian law enforcement functions and techniques. Additionally, they observed many of the tools and equipment that modern U.S. police forces have at their disposal. Among the many police assets Baiani and Azimi saw were emergency dispatch systems and computerized criminal database systems, which allow police officers to instantly access information on an individual. After observing the various police departments and their techniques, Baiani said he was impressed with American law enforcement. “This is what we need in Afghanistan ,” he said. “We have the policemen, now we need the systems that help police do their jobs.” Weblog LINK |
