Islamabad , Pakistan ( CNN ) -- A Taliban commander in northwest Pakistan has announced a ban on polio vaccines for children as long as the United States continues its campaign of drone strikes in the region , according to a statement by the Taliban . `` Polio drops will be banned in North Waziristan until the drones strikes are stopped , '' said the statement , released Saturday . `` Almost every resident of North Waziristan has become a mental patient because of the drone strikes , which are worse than polio , '' the statement continued . `` On one hand , the U.S. spends millions of dollars to eliminate polio , while on the other hand it kills hundreds with the help of its slave , Pakistan . '' Pakistan remains one of only three countries that have yet to eradicate polio . Photos : Faces of the Taliban . The country 's polio campaign made headlines last year when a Pakistani doctor was linked to a CIA operation to verify Osama bin Laden 's whereabouts with a door-to-door vaccination campaign in the town of Abbottabad , where the al Qaeda leader was hiding before he was killed . U.S. officials have said the plan did not work , but aid groups and Pakistani health officials have said the CIA 's alleged meddling with a vaccination campaign undermined Pakistan 's efforts to eradicate polio . Taliban commander Hafiz Gul Bahadur made the decision on the vaccination ban after consulting with other Taliban leaders , according to the statement . Bahadur commands the faction of the Taliban based in North Waziristan , the district Washington believes is the main safe haven for the Haqqani network and other militant groups fueling the insurgency in Afghanistan . It 's not clear how Bahadur 's decree will impact the polio eradication campaign in North Waziristan or in nearby districts , where he does n't wield as much power . It is widely believed that Bahadur is allied with the Haqqani network and provides shelter for the group in North Waziristan . The United States has pushed Pakistan to launch an offensive against the militant groups in North Waziristan , but Pakistani military officials have resisted , saying their troops are stretched too thin . In April , U.S. President Barack Obama 's chief counterterrorism adviser John Brennan acknowledged the use of U.S. drones . `` Yes , in full accordance with the law -- and in order to prevent terrorist attacks on the United States and to save American lives -- the United States government conducts targeted strikes against specific al Qaeda terrorists , sometimes using remotely piloted aircraft , often referred to publicly as drones , '' Brennan said . Official : Drone strike kills four in Pakistan . White House : Al Qaeda No . 2 leader is dead .
The leader of a Taliban faction in North Waziristan says drone strikes are worse than polio . The U.S. believes the district is a haven for the Haqqani network and other militant groups . It 's not clear how the Taliban 's decree will impact the polio eradication campaign . Pakistan is one of three countries that have yet to eradicate polio .