Over the weekend, I read an article in the Washington Post on the near eradication of polio throughout the world. This news has special significance for me as a member of Rotary International. I have been a Rotarian since 1994 and our local club has been actively involved with the eradication effort since the effort started in 1988. I was thrilled to read the article. Of course, there still is the need for funding to kept the effort going.
Yesterday, I read an article on the CNN website that threatens this very eradication effort. With Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria being the three countries left to target, the Taliban has informed the US government that if the drone attacks don't stop in their country then they will not allow polio vaccines to continue on Pakistani children. For men of religion and law to use their children as pawns is inexplicable. Then again, they are responsible for the massacre of hundreds of thousands of their own people while in power for the years prior to September 11, 2001. I hope that the threats are just that--a threat--and that the Taliban is powerless it carry out.
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