Gunmen shot five Pakistani women who were working on a U.N. polio vaccination campaign in two different cities today. Good morning!
Some background: The government is in the process of carrying out a three-day vaccination campaign in efforts to vaccinate millions of little kids. (Pakistan is one of only three countries where polio is an issue, especially for children living in unsanitary conditions.)
The Taliban hasn't taken responsibility for the shooting yet, but everyone is pretty sure it's them, since the attack is one of many in recent days and the group is not a fan of the anti-polio initiative; it suspects the health workers are spies for the U.S. and that the vaccine is actually dangerous. That's not as crazy a conspiracy theory as it may sound — remember how a Pakistani doctor ran a fake vaccination program that helped the CIA track down Osama bin Laden last year? — but, obviously, still not justification for opening fire.
The government suspended the campaign in Karachi as a result of the attack. The same exact thing happened — campaign, shooting, suspension — back in July. Sorry, kids! Hope you don't get polio.
[NYT]