Afghanistan, June 26: The story of a 6-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 dirt-caked child who collects scrap metal for money, left American soldiers dumbfounded that a youngster could be sent on such a mission. Afghan troops crowded around the boy to call him a hero.

Though the Taliban dismissed the story as propaganda, at a time when US and Nato forces are under increasing criticism over civilian casualties, both Afghan tribal elders and US military officers said they were convinced by his dramatic account. Juma said that sometime last month Taliban fighters forced him to wear a vest they said would spray out flowers when he touched a button. He said they told him that when he saw American soldiers, "throw your body at them."

The militants cornered Juma in a Taliban-controlled district in southern Afghanistan's Ghazni province. Their target was an impoverished youngster being raised by an older sister - but also one who proved too street-smart for their plan.

"When they first put the vest on my body I didn't know what to think, but then I felt the bomb," Juma said as he ate lamb and rice after being introduced to the elders at this joint US-Afghan base in Ghazni. After I figured out it was a bomb, I went to the Afghan soldiers for help." While Juma's story could not be independently verified, local government leaders backed his account and the US and Nato military missions said they believed his story. Abdul Rahim Deciwal, the chief administrator for Juma's village of Athul, brought the boy and an older brother, Dad Gul, to a weekend meeting between Afghan elders and US Army Col. Martin P. Schweitzer.

Schweitzer called the Taliban's attempt "a cowardly act." As Mr Deciwal told Juma's story, 20 Afghan elders repeatedly clicked their tongues in sadness and disapproval. When the boy and his brother were brought in, several of the turban-wearing men welled up, wiping their eyes with handkerchiefs. "If anybody has a heart, then how can you control yourself (before) these kids?" Mr Deciwal said in broken English. Wallets quickly opened, and the boys were handed $60 in American and Afghan currency - a good chunk of money in a country where teachers and police earn $70 a month.

Afghan officials described the boys as extremely poor, and Juma said he is being raised by his sister because his father works in a bakery in Pakistan and his mother lives and does domestic work in another village. "I think the boy is intelligent," Mr Deciwal said. "When he comes from the enemy he found a checkpoint of the ANA (Afghan National Army), and he asked the ANA: 'Hey, can you help me? Somebody gave me this jacket and I don't know what's inside but maybe something bad.'"

Lt. Col. George Graff, a father of five who attended the meeting, also teared up. "Relating to them as a father and trying to fathom somebody using one of my children for that kind of a purpose, jeez, it just tore me up," said Graff, a National Guard soldier. "The depths that these people will go to get what they want, which is power for themselves." (AP) Increasing insecurity in Afghanistan's Capital Five years after the installation of new political system, security remains the greatest challenge to Afghanistan. With the passage of everyday, it gets worst, and efforts to maintain it prove failed. In recent days, besides turbulent southern provinces, Afghanistan's capital has been in deep and bloody turmoil, sparked by suicide bombers and explosions.

Escalating insecurity in capital and occupation of some districts by Taliban have created fear for both Afghan and international investors and stakeholders. As insurgents increase destabilizing activities to expand their presence and occupation, political tension and argument increasingly emerge among different political entities, especially those in government structure.

There is no consensus and justification that why individuals and parties in political structure of Afghanistan pursue orchestrated and targeted policies to augment crisis and insecurity, but it is a deplorable fact that the country's overall situation, specially security, gets inexorably deteriorated and people in every part of the country are left desperate and hopeless.

What really makes Afghanistan's current environment and future prospects dark is a crippling and widespread poverty that majority of people are suffering, the international assistance to help Afghans build their lives in post-Taliban era failed to deliver poverty-reduction services to ordinary people. As security strategy seems to have completely failed, the economic development and social welfare projects have not reached destitute and needy Afghans. International community and President Hamid Karzia entered Afghanistan with slogans that never materialized; this is why the national confidence is in lowest level among people. Afghanistan will never regain the lost chance; the history will continue blaming those in politics without commitment and capability. Last week, there were two important issues which displayed the grievous domestic upheavals, first were President Hamid Karzia's statement and affirmations that Afghanistan had to concentrate on internal issues rather then merely pointing fingers to neighbors and other states.

Though the President comments were interpreted and analyzed in media, there remain two questions, first, on which base and documents, the President shifted his foreign policy while he had bluntly blamed foreign factors for instability and failure in Afghanistan. Was there any strategic and research-base document or the decision was made on merely emotional and unrealistic speculations? If the second option is true, the change in foreign policy will not lead to domestic mobility and progresses.

The second issue was increasing suicides and armed activities in capital of Afghanistan and Taliban's warning to concentrate more in crowded capital to intimidate government, people and foreigners. After spokesmen to NATO forces, Afghan National Defense and Interior Ministries confirmed to have inflicted deadly blow on Taliban and weakened their intelligence and security systems especially after the death of Mullah Daddullah, Taliban's key militant figure, the country's security would improve. Unfortunately, it proved wrong. Some commentators have said that the increased suicides are temporary reactions of Taliban which do seem realistic considering Afghanistan's situation.

It is a fact that Taliban and its associated armed organizations are not too much strong, but the bitter reality is that security forces, including police and national army, have not taken serious and coordinated steps to fight them and the allocated budgets have not been spent in appropriate manner. In different seminars and conferences, security incumbents have assured that they were working on comprehensive plans to organize and empower Afghan security forces to receive strength and defense sustainability. Training programs, undertaken by western nations in Afghanistan have been partly useful but not enough.

The national plan of equipping defense and security forces with sufficient morale, intellectual and military assistance and encouragements have been initially started with no long-term and sustained follow ups. Public support, key to provide and maintain security, has been badly damaged by continued civilian casualties and deaths in military operations, led by NATO and Afghan forces. People do not trust in security forces nor do they accept a repetitive apology when innocent people die in careless and unnecessary military bombardments.

At the same time, Taliban have taken firm and resolute decision to keep the existence and fight the government with full strength, they are not only involved in armed resistance and terror activities, but also campaigning among the people, especially in poor areas, to gain their support and mobilize them against the government. Afghanistan's foreign policy to launch comprehensive cross-border movement against Taliban failed, they are still supported by some countries, individuals and organizations outside Afghanistan.

The combination of above mentioned issues have created increasing mistrust and fear in Afghanistan, which has to be removed through resolute decision and national strategies.

-- Daily Outlook Afghanistan