The CIA's criminal stupidity

"In its zeal to identify bin Laden or his family, the CIA used a sham hepatitis B vaccination project to collect DNA in the neighbourhood where he was hiding. The effort apparently failed, but the violation of trust threatens to set back global public health efforts by decades.

The deadly consequences have already begun. Villagers along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border chased off legitimate vaccine workers, accusing them of being spies. Taliban commanders banned polio vaccinations in parts of Pakistan, specifically citing the bin Laden ruse as justification. Then, last December, nine vaccine workers were murdered in Pakistan, eventually prompting the United Nations to withdraw its vaccination teams. Two months later gunmen killed 10 polio workers in Nigeria—a sign that the violence against vaccinators may be spreading."

Full Scientific American story here

The CIA scheme was grossly irresponsible.  It has already lead to dozens of deaths amongst health workers. In the future it will kill or cripple  thousands of unvaccinated children.

Presumably the scheme was thought up by some wannabe who didn't think or care about the consequences. He or she probably just wanted to earn some brownie points with their bosses.

Another reason for the USA to be ashamed.