Marines give Afghan Army and police officials tour of California to show them US school, jail


By Associated Press, Wednesday, November 30, 11:06 AM

SAN DIEGO — Top Afghan Army and police officials who will oversee security in one of the country’s hardest-fought provinces are visiting Southern California this week to get a look at how the United States teaches its children, treats its prisoners and patrols its border with Mexico.

The three-day tour hosted by the Marine Corps started Wednesday. It is part of efforts to professionalize Afghanistan’s security forces so they can take over from U.S. troops, the majority of whom are expected to pull out of that country by the close of next year.

The visiting Afghan officials are seasoned military and law enforcement authorities from Helmand province, which has seen the war’s heaviest fighting but also has made progress in rescuing communities from the Taliban insurgency’s grips. Sections of Helmand province are now transitioning from NATO to Afghan security control, as part of the handover that will see all international combat forces out of the country or in a different role by the end of 2014.

“Afghans have been at war for three decades, most soldiers and police are in their 20s and 30s, so they’ve literally never witnessed a functioning system, so this is good opportunity to see a system that works reasonably well and see how to adapt it to their own culture and communities,â€