Kiwi cops meet First Lady
From left: Superintendent Paul Carpenter, Waikato, and Inspector Dave Stone, Kapiti, look on as Inspector Andrew Heffey, RNZPC, meet America’s First Lady, Laura Bush. Mrs Bush is escorted by Colonel Payman, the OC of the Afghanistan National Police Regional Training Centre, Bamiyan. He is accompanied by the Bamiyan Provincial Governor Sarabi Habibe – At the rear of the picture are DynCorp staff. DynCorp is contracted by INL (International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Agency) to support the International Police Programme. |
NZ Police officers stationed in Afghanistan’s Bamiyan Province got a surprise visit from America’s First Lady, Laura Bush, in early June.
Under a veil of secrecy and heavy security, the American President’s wife began her visit with a powhiri by Defence staff at the NZ Defence force base, followed by a rousing haka involving NZ Police staff.
She then went on to the Regional Training Centre where she was greeted by Colonel Payman, OC of the Bamiyan Regional Training Centre, DynCorp representatives and the three NZ Police officers.
Mrs Bush spent time in the classroom of the women’s NCO course and then had a discussion with three senior Afghan National Police women.
“Seeing those women hard at work in their classroom was a vivid reminder of how far this nation has come since the Taliban’s reign when women were not even allowed in school,” she told media as her visit came to an end.
Mrs Bush’s visit was to showcase some of the progress being made in Afghanistan, especially for women and children, and to cast a spotlight on Afghanistan’s need for more international assistance.
