Janet Napolitano visits Afghanistan

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KABUL, Afghanistan, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano arrived in Afghanistan Friday, planning to spend New Year's Eve with U.S. troops, her office said.

Napolitano also was scheduled to meet with senior U.S. and Afghan officials during her weeklong trip that includes stops in Qatar, Israel and Belgium, CNN reported.

"It is an honor to meet with our dedicated military and civilian men and women who are helping to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan, and I thank them for their continued efforts and sacrifices here to make the American homeland safer and more secure," Napolitano said in a statement.

Napolitano's visit comes as U.S. officials are working with their Afghan counterparts to help strengthen the country's border police. Six U.S. border security and customs officers traveled with the secretary, her office said.