UK NEWS

PRINCE HARRY TO BE WITHDRAWN IMMEDIATELY

Prince Harry will be withdrawn immediately

Friday February 29,2008

By Nicola McCafferty for express.co.uk

Comment Speech Bubble Have your say(16)

PRINCE Harry will be withdrawn from Afghanistan immediately, the Ministry of Defence have confirmed.

The young Prince has been secretly fighting the Taliban in Helmand province as a battlefield air controller and Spartan light tank commander for the past 10 weeks.

But after yesterday’s collapse of a news blackout deal, the 23-year-old will be flown back to the UK amid concerns for his safety.

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WATCH OUR VIDEO OF HARRY ON THE FRONTLINE
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It is expected that Harry will be devastated at the news

The move, which will be a bitter blow to the Prince, came after a US website leaked details of his deployment.

The leaks finally forced the breakdown last night of an agreement by the British media not to report the fact that Harry was in Afghanistan.

In a statement this morning, the Ministry of Defence said: “Following a detailed assessment of the risks by the operational chain of command, the decision has been taken by Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, Chief of Defence Staff, in consultation with General Sir Richard Dannatt, Chief of the General Staff, to withdraw Prince Harry from Afghanistan immediately.

“This decision has been taken primarily on the basis that the worldwide media coverage of Prince Harry in Afghanistan could impact on the security of those who are deployed there, as well as the risks to him as an individual soldier.”

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SEE OUR PRINCE HARRY IN AFGHANISTAN PIC GALLERY
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It was General Dannatt who faced the task last year of announcing a U-turn on plans to deploy the Prince - a Cornet, or Second Lieutenant, in the Blues and Royals - to Iraq.

Intelligence picked up a series of specific threats to Harry and his comrades in Iraq after details of his planned deployment were announced and received widespread publicity.

It is feared the revelation that the third in line to the throne has been fighting in Helmand would increase the tempo of attacks on British forces by the Taliban.

No details are available on when he will arrive home.

FIGHTING THE TALIBAN, HOW? THIS IS AN UNWINNABLE WAR

01.03.08, 3:41am

Filmmake Sean Langan has documented the bravery and increasing exhaustion of the soldiers as their supplies of food and ammunition run low, and morale even lower. He recorded their thoughts: each day they believe they will complete their task and be able to pull out; each evening they are told they must remain until the operation is accomplished.

It is never accomplished. It is reminiscent of Vietnam. Of the French in Algeria, a war that dragged on for 8 years with colossal loss of life. And for what?

The Americans couldn't do it in Vietnam. The French couldn't get it done in Algeria. And the British can't do it in Afghanistan. What is it? I wish someone would let us all know. And let the troops go home. This war, too, started off with everyone believing not a shot would be fired. Like Iraq. A cakewalk they said. Not so fast. Americans and Britons are losing their lives. And all the press can do is ask Harry what his view is - and document the giggles of his oh so proud Mum, so they think.

This news is disgusting and an insult to the British soldiers as well as the Afghanees.

• Posted by: Rothaymere • Report Comment

'ARRY

29.02.08, 10:48pm

I'm glad 'arrys coming home. now bring the reat of our troops home from a country that has been at war for at least 700 years.

• Posted by: beowulf • Report Comment

THIS WAS PREDICTABLE - AND GOOD NEWS FOR ALL THE OTHER HEROES FIGHTING THE TALIBAN, THE TOM'S, DICK'S AND OTHER HARRY'S OF WARS

29.02.08, 10:29pm

With the mass media revelation and guaranteed star coverage of Prince Harry's secret-but-not quite deployment to Afghanistan, it was merely a matter of time - and time being of the essence - before cooler heads ruled and came to this decision. And for good reason. Trumpeting the location of a "special hero" to one and all, not the least of which the Taliban, was not exactly good news for all those heroes around him. The Tom's, the Dick's, the Harry's, quietly going about their business. But in England's wars it has always been Tommy Atkins who won the day for her. The ordinary soldier, who has fought and died on the battlefields unheralded, Flanders Field is a good example.

What on earth is so special and courageous about Harry doing what he trained to do? He went to Sandhurst didn't he? Courageous? Going to war is what a soldier is all about. Every single one of the British soldiers in Afghanistan is courageous and deserving of banner headlines also. Likewise the American soldiers in Iraq, and the Australians and Canadians. Likewise the French soldiers in Chad. Soldiers everywhere - the best, the bravest, God bless them all.

The press called it. The Ministry of Defence picked it up. "In his own words (Harry)" the press screeched. It's fortunate that the Taliban didn't get to hear about it before the Min. of Def. stepped in otherwise Harry's private war would have turned out to be bad news indeed.

• Posted by: Rothaymere • Report Comment

I BET HE HAD ALL THE CORRECT EQUIPMENT

29.02.08, 10:18pm

• Posted by: betty • Report Comment

YES BUT

29.02.08, 9:43pm

You do realise that it was all stage manged... while at the same time the REAL soldiers were fighting the REAL taliban..

Bring him home its embarrarsing.

• Posted by: gargoyle • Report Comment

HARRY TO BE WITHDRAWN

29.02.08, 7:41pm

I take my hat off to Prince Harry for having the guts to go to Afghanistan,he has trained ahrd to be a soildier and if left alone by the media i think a bloody good one too!.

Seeing as it is the media who have made such an issue about him being a"Bullet Magnet" ,High Priority Target" and a "Risk to Other Soldiers Lives" it seems hypocrical of the media to then let the world know abut his planned deployment,where he is likely to be etc,the only reason he would be a risk to others is because the media ave made it so.

If he were to have gone out there earlier without the press intrusion and ferver in wich they seemed to let the word know what was going on the average Afghanistani fighter would not have the faintest idea who the hell he was.Yes he may well have been photographed comming out of the odd nightclub the worst for wear,but i would rather have Prince Harry defending this countries interests here or abroad than the shower of traiterous S*** we have in government, at present.

If given the choice i belive he would be out there for the duration of his tour with friends he can rely on rather than the parasites back home who are all ready and willing to stick the knife in,for a young man he and the rest of the poor bastards out there have more honour,courage and integrity than the low life pondfeeders who are responsible for sending all these brave people out there in the first place.!!!!!!

• Posted by: jonG • Report Comment