The Guardian
http://www.guardiannews.com/
Accessed 16 March 2013

Taliban stopping polio vaccinations, says Afghan governor
Immunisation programme halted in Nuristan province, raising fears that opposition has spread from Pakistan
Emma Graham-Harrison in Kabul
Tuesday 12 March 2013 12.31 EDT
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/mar/12/taliban-stopping-polio-vaccinations-afghanistan?INTCMP=SRCH

Excerpt
The Taliban have halted an annual polio vaccination campaign in a remote part of Afghanistan, according to a senior official, raising concerns that opposition to the critical immunisation drive could be spilling across from insurgent groups in neighbouring Pakistan.

The Taliban have controlled parts of poor, isolated and mountainous Nuristan province for several years, but they have never before prevented medical workers reaching children in their strongholds, said the governor Tamim Nuristani.

“For the past three years Waygal district has been under the Taliban, they are very strong there. For the last two years the vaccine process went on in the district, but this year they stopped it,” he told the Guardian by phone from the provincial capital, an island of government control in the restive area.

“They are saying in terms of religion it is a problem and we have to stop it. In Kamdesh district we also have problems, they have stopped the programme,” he added…