Taliban tried to trick young boy into suicide bomb mission

A STORY of a six-year-old Afghan boy who says he thwarted an effort by Taliban militants to trick him into being a suicide bomber provoked tears and anger at a meeting of tribal leaders.

The account from Juma Gul, a child who collects scrap metal for money, left American soldiers shocked that a youngster could be sent on such a mission.

The Taliban dismissed the story as propaganda, at a time when US and Nato forces are under increasing criticism over civilian casualties, but Afghan tribal elders and US military officers said they believed the story.