While we hear of every “short of mark” for our military’s recruitment months, we never hear of how the Taliban are doing in meeting their recruiting numbers. Early this year the now-deceased Mullah Dadullah was promising “Tens of thousands of suicide bombers” in Afghanistan. Later that fell to “thousands”, and now to “hundreds” — like the Spring offensive that never came, this too is a bust. To demonstrate how desperate they have become, here is a story of their latest recruit, a six-year old orphan.
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 U.S. and NATO forces are under increasing criticism over civilian casualties, both Afghan tribal elders and U.S. military officers said they were convinced by his dramatic account
