Posted on 04/26/2007 11:04:20 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
London, Apr 27 (ANI): British royal Prince Harry has threatened to quit the Army if senior officers decide to ban him from serving in Iraq.
Senior officers in the British Army fear that Harry’s presence in the war zone will be an “inevitable disaster” as far as other soldiers are concerned, and that insurgents will step up their attacks on the British forces in the Middle-Eastern country.
Based on these concerns, the Ministry of Defense (MoD) had launched a last minute review of the young Royal’s deployment in the country, after the Royal household gave the clearance for his stint in Iraq in February this year.
At the time, the MoD and Clarence House released a joint statement confirming that Prince Harry would be performing duties in Iraq that would involve "leading a troop of 12 men in four Scimitar armored reconnaissance vehicles, each with a crew of three" from the regiment's "A squadron".
A Household Cavalry source insisted that if Chief of the General Staff General Sir Richard Dannatt, who will make the final decision, decides that having the third-in-line to the throne will only see an increase in British causalities and stops him from going, then it was very likely that Harry would quit the Army.
"This is what he signed up for and if he doesn't go, he will sign off and leave. He joined the Army for a bit of excitement and for him to be told he's not going would be awful," the Daily Mail quoted the source, as saying.
The source added that not letting Harry go to Iraq would also cause a ‘bad feeling’ in his Blues and Royals regiment.
"There will be bad feeling in the regiment if they stop him. He has his troop, and the protection of his troop, and his vehicle," he said.
"His troop will not just protect him but all the guys. He is just as important as the youngest guy in his troop. They are all there to do their bit," the source added.
Harry has faced increased threats from insurgents ever since it became known that he was keen on serving in Iraq.
Not only have highly-publicized threats been made to kill or capture Harry, but militants have also put huge bounties on his head.
Despite all this, Harry, trained to command 11 men in a troop of four Scimitar reconnaissance vehicles, has repeatedly insisted that he wants to serve in the war-torn country.
On his 21st birthday last year Harry had 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. That may sound patriotic but it’s true."
If the Prince does go to Iraq, he will be the first senior royal to serve on the front since Prince Andrew did in the Falklands in 1982.
This royal may actually have some upper lip.
Wait till Harry meet Eddie Stone.
We disagree.
Is he there for his glory or to serve his country. If he wants to serve his country, he will serve it where his officers determine it is best. And not put others in the line for his personal need to be a hero.
I sympathise with him but frankly he comes across as a nincompoop rather than a soldier.
Maybe he’s too young to understand the effect... but I will give him credit for being patriotic! We need more people like him in the world (civilized anyway)... I respect him for willingly putting his life in danger during a time of war; maybe he should be the next ‘king’. I think he has what it takes (as long as he understands what he is doing) to be the next real leader of his country (even though it’s all for show(monarch).... If he is successful, maybe he can bring back the monarchy (history) of the U.K.!
patriotism is often enough reason to dilute the truth.And what was THAT supposed to mean?!
LOL!
LOL!
I read this week that Harry said he was willing to die for his country. Sounds like a Marine to me.
Oh God WHO CARES!?!!
As Winston Churchill once said, that is true, but not exhaustive.
Clearly from a military standpoint his presence is a liability. Clearly his death (or -- much worse -- capture) would be a victory for the terrorists.
The problem now is that the gallant Prince has forced their hand. If the British Army refuses to deploy him then Britain has once again knuckled under to terrorists.
Should Britain surrender to terrorists when Britain refused to surrender to Nazi Germany or even talk peace with Nazi Germany?
Will Britain follow the lead of Winston Churchill or the lead of "Dear Loser" Senator Harry "Pierre Laval" Reid (D-Vichy)??
Prince Harry is doing what a true royal leader should do -- lead by example. Richard the Lionhearted, Edward I and Elizabeth I would be very proud of this fine young Prince. He's risking his life when he doesn't have to so that the point is made that we in the West can't surrender to those terrorist bastards.
I sure couldn't when I was in.
Maybe so, I hope so. But I see a young man who is drunk nightly at private clubs, groping women, chasing photographers and falling down drunk,,maybe that is a marine. And talk if cheap.
bttt
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