You have seen it dozens of times on television shows. The FBI works with a confidential informant to bring down major criminal enterprises with a fair amount of regularity. No matter how vile the actions of these individuals, they are treated with the utmost care to keep their identities secret. In fact, after the court hearings are over and the verdicts handed down, the government provides them with a new name, new location and forever keeps them safe from parties that may seek retribution. Whatever their previous crimes or financial transgressions, their service to the country is rewarded with a clean slate.

What the hell happened in Pakistan?! Dr. Shakil Afridi secretly created a fake vaccination program to obtain information that led to the raid which killed Osama bin Laden, and is now rotting in a Pakistani prison, having been sentenced to thirty-three years for treason.  His only crime was assisting the United States bringing justice to a man responsible for the murder of over 3,000 of its citizens.  How was he caught by a country that somehow managed to miss the most wanted man in the world living within yards of a military training facility? We ratted him out! In the frenzy and triumph following the death of bin Laden, Dr. Afridi’s identity was simply not protected. He was not whisked away by the CIA, he was not given a new identity. He was left to the wolves to be devoured at their leisure.

Imagine a jailhouse informant identified to his fellow inmates and left to serve out his term in the general population of the same prison. This is an abomination.  Regardless of his national origin, this man is an American hero and we threw him under the bus! Leading from behind does not mean allowing your friends and allies to suffer for their assistance. If we continue to treat our friends like this, how long before we haven’t any left?