In their zeal to brag about the locating and killing of UBL, the story of how his location was confirmed through the use of CIA agents posing as aide workers providing vaccines was widely told.
Now, no one trusts real aide workers trying to provide real medical care. Add this casualty to the Pakistani doctor rotting in a prison.
White House vows CIA will not stage fake vaccine programs
Washington (AFP) - The White House has promised the United States will not use vaccination programs as cover for spy operations – after the move was attempted during the hunt for Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.
As Pakistan suffers a resurgence of polio, a top White House official pledged in a letter dated May 16 that intelligence agencies would foreswear the tactic, which is partly blamed for the spread of the crippling disease.
No matter how much good we try to do around the world, we screw it up. But, at least all the government agencies focused on these third world dumps aren’t focused on us.
Don’t send aid workers to places like Pakistan. Just stop helping countries that are giving aid, comfort and sanctuary to people like Osama Bin Laden. Let those countries nationals who are applying for visa’s to the US engage in some intelligence gathering.
Private organizations are still sending people and they are free to do so. I think we just need to tell them that we can’t provide security or rescue. Go out your own risk.
The whole aid worker cover is as old as the Cold War.
In Vietnam during the “Hearts and Minds” campaign saline water was injected to villagers who thought they were getting vaccines of some sort. Nothing new under the sun and all that.