After barring U.N.-organized vaccination, Taliban allow Polio drive across Afghanistan

The Taliban-run Afghan public health ministry has announced the start of a four-day nationwide polio vaccination campaign aimed at inoculating children under the age of 5.

For the past three years before taking control of Afghanistan, the Taliban had barred U.N.-organized vaccination teams from doing door-to-door campaigns in parts of the country under their control.

The group apparently was suspicious the team members could be spies for the previous government or the West.

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Because of the ban and ongoing fighting, some 3.3 million children over the past three years have not been vaccinated.

The Taliban's reported agreement now, after becoming the rulers of Afghanistan, appeared aimed at showing they are willing to cooperate with international agencies to re-open the door for international aid to rescue the crumbling economy.