The Pakistani Doctor Who Helped The CIA To Track Down Osama Bin Laden Is Still Languishing In A Pakistani Jail

Dr. Shakil Afridi

National Geographic: He Led the CIA to bin Laden—and Unwittingly Fueled a Vaccine Backlash

Pakistani doctor's role in health campaign sparked local suspicions that efforts to fight polio were part of a Western plot.

PESHAWAR, Pakistan—In his native Pakistan, Dr. Shakil Afridi is considered a traitor by many people for helping the Central Intelligence Agency track down and kill Osama bin Laden. In the United States, he is hailed as a hero.

In global health circles, his story is a cautionary tale about the consequences that can spiral out of control when health professionals get too close to intelligence operations.

WNU Editor: I still find it incomprehensible that this hero is still in jail. Talk about being abandoned by the U.S..