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Subject: Harry may go to Iraq - but sit behind a desk
AdamB    4/26/2007 2:37:38 PM
Keep Harry away from fighting By TOM NEWTON DUNN Defence Editor April 26, 2007 SENIOR officers may ban Prince Harry from combat in Iraq to avert a “disaster” overtaking other soldiers, it has emerged. Sources said the young 2nd lieutenant could be kept well away from the battlefield because he would be a magnet for suicide bombers, snipers and other attackers. Highly-publicised threats to kill or capture him have already been made by terror fanatics and top brass fear his presence would lead to a hugely increased risk of British casualties. Army chiefs have now launched a late review of their decision to let the 22-year-old serve with his men from the Blues and Royals when they deploy next month. A source said: “It’s very complicated. No one wants to gift a PR victory to the insurgents by withdrawing him. “But there is a groundswell of opinion across senior ranks now that to allow Harry to serve in the open with his men will lead to an inevitable disaster.” The re-think on Cornet Wales, as the Royal is known to his unit, comes amid a massive spike in violence against Our Boys. And insurgents are crowing at the prospect of targeting Harry, spreading photos of him around southern Iraq and putting huge bounties on his head. One group has boasted it will take him hostage and cut off his ears. Harry, trained to command 11 men in a troop of four Scimitar reconnaissance vehicles, has said repeatedly he does not want to be left behind when they are sent out. Any decision to ban him would leave him furious, shatter his long-held dream of leading soldiers in action and could even spell an early end to his Army career. But unease over letting him go has been growing for weeks among many senior officers, while other important defence figures have opposed it from the outset. The review is being carried out for the Chief of the General Staff General Sir Richard Dannatt, who will make the final decision. Harry — who last night took girlfriend Chelsy Davy, 21, to Stamford Bridge for Chelsea’s Champions League game against Liverpool — could still be allowed to go to Iraq, but only to do a desk job. Such a U-turn would be a deep embarrassment for the MoD and boost Iraq’s insurgency. However, a source said: “Do we want the deaths of God knows how many extra soldiers on our conscience?” A week ago two soldiers from the Queen’s Royal Lancers died when a Scimitar was hit by a bomb in Maysan — where the Blues and Royals are to go. The MoD said: “Prince Harry’s deployment is under constant consideration.” thesun.co.uk
 
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Yimmy       4/26/2007 2:46:15 PM
Step one - select a suitable region, away from civilians.
 
Step two - send to the area a premier infantry battalion.
 
Step three - produce and send numerous decoy Scimiter armoured vehicles.
 
Step four - announce Harries presence in the region.
 
Step five - set ambushes, have some tea, and wait, fireworks at the ready.
 
 
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YelliChink       4/26/2007 8:50:49 PM
Which makes me think, why don't they just make
 
Black Adder In Iraq
 
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jastayme3       4/26/2007 9:01:42 PM
Don't those folk have any taste? What good is a prince if he can't "die gloriously" etc? That's part of his job. More seriously it will be good for morale if he goes, even if he dies. The only way it can be bad is if he gets captured and wimps out at the last. So all he has to do is make sure he doesn't get captured. I am speaking glibbly but he wants to go, he probably feels a need to pay England for his priveledges and more power to him. It's not as killing him would decapitate the state the way with an old time prince. England can only gain.
 
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perfectgeneral       4/26/2007 10:33:35 PM
Not that any life is cheap, but we do have more than one prince. I don't think William and Harry should deploy into Iraq at the same time, but I don't see their profile as an obsticle to one at a time.
 
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reefdiver       4/27/2007 3:35:21 PM
If anything were to happen to Harry in Iraq it would be a great coup for the enemy. It would provide them with far too much proganda to risk it. Nope - put him at a desk job.  In some other wars, ok let him fight and die if necessary, but not in this war where winning seems to be measured in media and propaganda.  At this point, I'd never let him fight in any war involving Muslims fanatics.
 
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jastayme3       4/27/2007 5:32:13 PM

If anything were to happen to Harry in Iraq it would be a great coup for the enemy. It would provide them with far too much proganda to risk it. Nope - put him at a desk job. In some other wars, ok let him fight and die if necessary, but not in this war where winning seems to be measured in media and propaganda. At this point, I'd never let him fight in any war involving Muslims fanatics.



_______________________________________________________ Propaganda has several facets. I rather think the positive propaganda effect for us will be greater then that for them and we will be a net gainer. That is difficult to measure but worth considering. Also if he does stay behind, they will say Prince Harry is afraid of them-which might be even better propaganda for them.
 
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reefdiver       4/30/2007 12:33:45 PM



_______________________________________________________
Propaganda has several facets. I rather think the positive propaganda effect for us will be greater then that for them and we will be a net gainer. That is difficult to measure but worth considering.
Also if he does stay behind, they will say Prince Harry is afraid of them-which might be even better propaganda for them.

You're probably right. Let him take his chances. If he kills some terrorists - superb. If he's wounded or killed - he's done his duty and many Brits will just get more angry. 
 
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