Boy says Taliban put bomb on him

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 Taliban dismissed the story as propaganda, but Afghan tribal elders and U.S. military officers said they were convinced by Juma Gul, a child who collects scrap metal for money.

Juma said that last month Taliban fighters forced him to wear a vest they said would spray flowers when he touched a button. He said they told him that when he saw American soldiers, “throw your body at them.” Instead, he said, he approached Afghan soldiers for help.