Bin Laden: Doctors Without Borders Denounces the American Ruse

The British press has revealed that the CIA has set up a false vaccination campaign in Pakistan in order to locate a terrorist leader — a method not liked by Doctors Without Borders.

The spy was in white. During the long hunt that allowed them to locate Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, the U.S. secret services did not hesitate to organize a false vaccination campaign in the city where they suspected he was hiding, revealed the British daily the Guardian. The campaign was organized in order to collect the DNA of the terrorist’s family members.

Years went by before the CIA could locate their main enemy. The residence of the terrorist in question was finally located. The residence in Abbottabad, in northern Pakistan, was immediately placed under surveillance satellite. But how to be sure Osama bin Laden was there? It was impossible to push too far into the investigation without being spotted and driving the target away. Therefore, it was important to be clever and play it smart.

The CIA had the DNA of bin Laden’s sister, who died in the U.S. in 2010. The CIA therefore wanted to compare the DNA of the sister with the DNA of the children of the terrorist leader to make sure the children were his. But they still had to find a way to obtain their DNA. It was done under the cover of a vaccination campaign.

According to the Guardian, the Americans, who wanted to organize a false vaccination campaign with real vaccines and a real doctor, contacted Dr. Shakil Afridi. They provided him with ways to obtain free vaccines against hepatitis B without informing him of the real purpose of the campaign. One of his nurses would reach into bin Laden’s residence to treat the children. The DNA collected could therefore have helped the Americans to launch a new operation.

The CIA officially denied having conducted such an operation. But according to the Guardian, Dr. Afridi was arrested by Pakistan’s secret services, who were angry because they were sidelined by their American counterparts in the final assault against bin Laden. The United States will pressure Islamabad to release Dr. Afridi.

More importantly, the case did not appeal to vaccination professionals such as Doctors Without Borders. The organization published a statement Thursday in which they raised two objections. Firstly, it appeared that the Pakistani doctor did not complete his vaccination mission. Hepatitis B requires a first injection and then a follow-up injection a month later. The doctor in question did not return to some areas where he intervened. Secondly, this false campaign can create doubts in a population already wary of Westerners in general.