Apparently, CIA agents posed as health officials conducting a polio vaccination campaign in Pakistan to try and obtain information about Bin Laden.
This may seem a minor point to some. However, the US and other nations have long participated in a campaign to vaccinate enough people to eradicate the crippling disease, polio, from the world. A similar campaign succeeded in totally eradicating small pox.
However, agents posing as those conducting this vaccination campaign have now jeopardized the goal of getting everyone vaccinated. In Pakistan, a number of those legitimately involved in this effort to eradicate polio have been murdered because it was thought they were foreign agents.
Our CIA should never use this as a cover. I'm glad they are now saying it won't happen again. Its a pity it happened in the first place. There are ways to gather intelligence without jeopardizing the goal of eradicating entire diseases.
CIA: No more vaccination campaigns in spy operations - chicagotribune.com
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