Posted on 04/26/2007 6:55:42 PM PDT by West Coast Conservative
Prince Harry will fly to Iraq within days after telling friends: "I'm not afraid to die."
Despite mounting fears for his safety, the third in line to the throne will be sent to the war zone with his regiment, the Blues and Royals.
However, commanders will be ready to send him home if his arrival unleashes the threatened wave of attacks on British troops.
Worried defence chiefs ordered an urgent review into Harry's deployment after a string of threats by Iraqi extremists to kill or capture the 22-year-old prince, and a recent rise in fatal attacks on UK forces.
Casualties among his Blues and Royals comrades could turn Harry's deployment into a disaster for the Army, leading to questions over why a senior Royal was allowed to endanger other British soldiers despite the threats being so well-recognised.
Given the unpopularity of the Iraq war and the recent Iran hostage debacle, the personal tragedy and political fallout could prove devastating.
Sources close to the prince stressed that his concern for the men under his command meant he was prepared to swallow his pride and give up his dream of serving on the front line if ordered to do so.
Harry has spoken movingly to friends about his thoughts on going to war, claiming that after coping with the trauma of his mother's death as a boy he feels more than ready to face the rigours of operations.
"Harry says he is not afraid to die, because of his own mother's tragic death, but he is very afraid for the soldiers fighting with him," said a confidant.
"He thinks that because he is so high profile, one of his men may end up being captured and held to ransom or even killed because of him.
"That's something he couldn't bear and knows he would be held to account for it for the rest of his life.
"He also fears the brickbats that he knows will be thrown at him about not being up to the job if one of the men under him is injured or killed."
According to insiders, Harry had threatened to resign from the Army if he were stopped from serving with his men.
Friends played down that possibility, and said he would accept the decision of his commanders "like a grown-up".
They acknowledged, however, that if he is barred from frontline operations he would be unlikely to seek a long-term future in the Army and could leave when his initial three-year term is up.
In an interview to mark his 21st birthday, the prince said: "There's no way I'm going to put myself through Sandhurst and then sit on my arse back home while my boys are out fighting for their country.
"Yes, it would put pressure on the regiment but at the end of the day the decision will have to come down from my commanding officer.
"I do enjoy running down a ditch full of mud, firing bullets. It's the way I am. I love it."
The Daily Mail has learned the date when Harry is due to fly out to Iraq from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, but has agreed to keep the information secret to safeguard his security.
Eleven British soldiers have been killed in Iraq in the last month alone.
Two died last week performing exactly the role that Harry is set to undertake.
Corporal Ben Leaning, 24, and 27-year-old Trooper Kristen Turton of the Queen's Royal Lancers were patrolling the desert in a Scimitar armoured reconnaissance vehicle which was destroyed by a hidden roadside bomb.
Insurgents have issued chilling threats, claiming to have civilian informants working in British Army camps who will report Harry's precise movements around the country.
Groups also claim that his photograph has been circulated to snipers and bombers, while one militia leader has pledged to take the prince hostage and send him home to his grandmother "without his ears".
The Ministry of Defence said that Cornet Wales, as he is addressed in the Army, was still due to deploy to Iraq as an armoured reconnaissance troop commander, leading his team of 11 men trained to patrol and fight in four Scimitar light tanks.
Officials played down talk of a U-turn, although sources admitted that senior commanders ordered a thorough review earlier this week.
Until now they had hoped that the prince would be safe enough if he was sent to patrol remote desert areas rather than urban areas.
But the deaths last week of a Scimitar crew in Maysan province - a volatile area where Harry could find himself on patrol - has raised fresh doubts.
Increasingly sophisticated roadside bombs are being smuggled across the border from Iran, capable of blasting through the armour of British Army vehicles.
To make matters worse, responsibility for security in Maysan province was recently handed over to the Iraqis, meaning that the local police - who are notoriously corrupt and have been infiltrated by insurgent groups - would have access to details of UK operations.
One option in Iraq would be for commanders to restrict Harry to duties inside British camps, with another officer stepping in to command his troop.
But if he is known to be in the country, insurgents might still mount more attacks on British forces - and particularly Scimitar armoured vehicles - in the hope of killing him.
A senior Army source said: "Until the Blues and Royals get out there on the ground it's difficult to gauge how serious the threat is."
Harry's private secretary Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, an SAS veteran of the first Gulf War, is understood to have carried out a detailed review of the security threats in Iraq, including tactical measures which could be used to minimise the threats to the prince in the field.
Tony Blair refused to comment on the issue , claiming it was "a matter for the Army."
However he caused astonishment among relatives of those who have died in Iraq by claiming in a radio interview he would be "delighted" for his own children to volunteer.
Sir John Nott, Conservative defence secretary during the Falklands War, warned against the deployment, saying: "The danger is that Prince Harry will be hazarding the lives of other soldiers and young officers, and I think that's not right."
Harry would be the first Royal to serve in a combat zone since his uncle, Prince Andrew, flew helicopters for the Royal Navy during the Falklands conflict 25 years ago.
Prince Edward famously failed to make the grade as a Royal Marines officer, and dropped out during training.
May he have a safe tour of duty and get back home in one piece.
Godspeed, Prince Harry.
This story may be just spin, but Harry seems to be more of a man than his Father.
Ya gotta respect the man, doncha? Not at all like his dad.
What a courageous young man! Especially knowing that so many will try to gun for him in particular. My prayers are with him.
But his daddy is a wannabe Muzzie! I wish Harry well, but maybe he should carry a picture of his daddy in his Muzzie getup.
Mountbatten had some nads....maybe it passed along to Harry from Prince Phil’s side!
Yes you do and he certainly isn’t like his father ...Prayers for him and his fellow soldiers.
When he gets back they need to make him King, and make crybaby Mr. Bean the Court Jester.
King Harry...has a nice ring to it.
He ought to consider the men around him - he’s a high value target that might just get alot of others killed. Send him to Afganistan instead ...
The UK still seems to have a lion or two in the closet, one can only hope the best for him, but this kid might just put the Great back into Great Britain.
Maybe they could deploy him as the new Prime Minister.
Many things that are necessary to do, are “unpopular,” so it is not surprising that wars are not wildly popular events — like rock concerts. Paying rent is not increasingly popular either — but most mature people realize that’s what they have to do.
Fortunately, brainwashing (liberal) mainstream media articles won’t be around much longer due to their increasing “unpopularity.” Just let people make up their own minds without preloading all the adjectives for them.
That’s why mainstream media writers are not the leaders they imagine themselves to be. People actually enjoy doing their own thinking.
The situation seems to be particularly bad with the British media; that is the price they pay for inventing tabloid news. At least here in America, we get to see the dark future coming out of Britain news agencies as the way it will be if media that is still healthy doesn’t change its ways.
Fortunately, we’ve limited the damage to “public” television and radio.
Might have a nice ring to it, but I believe that Prince William is next in line.
Exactly! Although Tony has done his share, this is the first sign of real backbone we have seen since Lady Thatcher!
Well Harry appears to be a man. His uncle Andrew was a man. We are not sure what his father is.
Best wishes, young man!
The young royal gentleman has a good attitude.
When William inherits the throne, I hope that he quietly uses some of his grandmother’s money to organize and equip a mercenary regiment, most likely in the Caribbean, loyal only to the crown, not His Majesty’s government and subject to their whims.
This Excalibur (or Caledfwlch, in Welsh) Regiment would be used to defend Britain in the event that Brussels had emasculated the British military, then they, some internal foe, or some other foreign tyranny, decided to occupy or attack Britain, or oppress its people.
The would require that His Highness William leave Britain, most likely to Canada, so he could not be compelled by Parliament, appointing a Lord Protector, or Lord Lieutenant, who would dissolve Parliament and declare martial law.
If Prince Harry had sufficient rank when Brussels eliminated the British military, he would be a good choice, surrounded by other ex-officers, possibly commissioning them as nobles in charge of regions of Britain.
Since Brussels right now clearly intends to depose the crown, and if they can, to seize its assets, it would probably be wise for Her Majesty to skip over Charles the Feeble and go direct to William.
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