Afghan president in surprise visit to Kabul mosque

KABUL, Dec 30 (Reuters) Afghan President Hamid Karzai shunned security concerns today to make a surprise visit, to a crowded Kabul mosque where he hugged worshippers and gave money to children to mark the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha.

It was a rare appearance in public by the Western-backed president who has survived two assassination bids since he came to office after the 2001 overthrow of the Taliban government.

Kabul, like other parts of the country, has been hit by a series of Taliban suicide attacks targetting government and foreign forces this year, the bloodiest since 2001.

Called by critics the 'mayor of Kabul' because neither his writ nor his trips extend much outside the capital, Karzai seldom ventures outside the ancient walls of his presidential palace compound and even then only with tight security.

But security was relaxed as Karzai arrived with a only a handful of his US-trained Afghan bodyguards at Pul-i-Khesti, the main mosque crowded with hundreds of worshippers in a traffic clogged and war-torn part of the city.

''People were really surprised with his sudden and unannounced visit. We did not get checked when entering the mosque. He prayed, then hugged some people and handed out money to a number of kids,'' said witness Ahmad Sear.

It is an Afghan tradition to give money to children during the Eid al-Adha, or Feast of Sacrifice, Muslim festival.

Usually when Karzai attends a function even at a government compound outside his palace, whole districts are closed to traffic by scores of bodyguards and snipers sit atop buildings.

Karzai has escaped two attempts on his life since US-led and Afghan forces ousted the Taliban in late 2001 after the hardline Islamic government refused to hand over al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden following the September 11 attacks.

The first one was by a Taliban fighter in 2002 while visiting the southern city of Kandahar, Karzai's birthplace and also the main bastion of resurgent Taliban.

The second attempt came in the form of a rocket attack during a helicopter trip in the 2004 presidential election race, which he won overwhelmingly.

REUTERS AKJ VV1926