From: "jeffrey E." <[email protected]> To: Bill Gates <MIIM > Subject: polio attacks Date: Sat, 21 Mar 2015 13:37:26 +0000 IPI backgrounder to 2 recent attacks: 18 March 2015, Nawagai, Bajaur (FATAt The media reported that a polio worker was shot dead & a 2nd one was injured. The attackers fled on foot. Note 1: All of Bajaur is of strategic importance, especially for the militants. The site of the attack is very close to the Afghan border, & serves as an unofficial transit route for all types of traffic of people & goods. Hence, after two days of research, including via interlocutors with good sources, IPI is of the view that it was the location which led to the attack, and not PEP or polio workers per se. Only Dawn newspaper reported that the Pak Taliban Tr") had taken responsibility - but IPI research shows that the Dawn reporter does not have good sources, it was more guesswork on his part! Note 2: There have been a number of attacks on polio teams in Bajaur tribal agency, eg. (i)10 Sept 2014, a Levies escort for a polio team was shot dead in Damadola village, a very restive area very dose to the Afghan border, and a safe haven for militants at that time, also the site of many drone attacks; (ii) it Sept 2014: a paramilitary soldier escorting a polio team was shot dead in Mamond/Mamund, a very sensitive area dose to the Afghan border — the Mamund tribal elders are on both sides of the border; (iii) 22 Oct 2014: 2 Levies escorts plus 1 driver of polio team were injured in a remote-controlled bomb blast in Mamond area — a day after pamphlets were distributed warning tribesmen of dire consequences of allowing PEP — more a ruse to keep non-locals & uniformed personnel away than anti-polio as such; (iii) it Nov 2014:3 Levies escorts guarding a polio team were killed and 3 others were injured in Salarzai area when their vehicle hit an IED planted by the roadside — the Salarzai tribe provides the bulk of the pro-Govt militias & are consta