joquim

Details by USA TODAY— Prince Harry will not be sent to Iraq because military commanders feel specific threats against him have made the risks too great for the possible heir to the British throne.
Gen. Richard Dannatt, chief of the British general staff, announced the decision Wednesday. It reverses a Feb. 22 order to deploy the prince with his unit to southern Iraq in coming weeks. Dannatt said the decision was made in consultation with Buckingham Palace and Harry's father, Prince Charles....
Without providing details, Dannatt said the military had become aware of "specific threats" that "exposed (Harry) and those around him to a degree of risk I considered unacceptable."
Harry, 22, is the younger son of Charles and the late Princess Diana. He is third in line to the British throne, behind his father and brother, Prince William, 24. He serves as an army second lieutenant in the elite Blues and Royals regiment of the Household Cavalry.

elisheva

Please add a source. Thank you.

Lexis

It makes sense. The kidnap of the three American soldiers is awful. The propaganda coup it would be for the insurgents to capture, torture and kill the third in line to the British throne would be huge.

nopal

Not to mention the added danger it would put the others in his unit in. I think this is a good decision.

Jerry D

I also think that this is a good decision. I think that if Prince Harry was in Iraq, he would be targeted, and that would not only put him in danger, but his fellow soldiers as well.

-Kelly-

^ That's what other people are saying too, Jerry

*Ledi*

This is the first thing I thought of when I heard about him going to Iraq. Weird. This good anyway.

abw92

I'm glad he is not going. There is too big of a risk for him and the people the around him. I think this is a very good decision.

welshgirlyUK

Is this for sure? Because there's been so many back and forth 'he is going. 'He's not going' in the media that i have no clue anymore.

sunnykerr

Well, I think they're probably treading that careful area of not making it look like he doesn't want to go, or couldn't go were he not who he is, and saying that he can't go because of other people.

It is a touchy thing, in a way. Because his uncle did go to war. But his uncle was nearly as big a target as he is. Nor was he as high in the lign of succession.

I think he seems to want to go. He seems eager to prove his worth, so to speak. And do the work. But it would be silly to send him. And not because he's third in line. But, yeah, because there are other guys in his unit. And him being a target would make them a target.

welshgirlyUK

I think they've been pretty open about admitting that they dont want him to go because of who is and the risk he'd cause to the other men and women fighting with him and Harry's been very adamant that he wants to go.

However like you said its a tough choice. I respect his decision to go so much, i have nothing but admiration for our armed forces and there bravery in going out and fighting for Britain. And like its been said, our men and women are already targets anyway. What concerns me is that the regiment he's in are gonna spend all there time, energy and resources protecting him and not doing the job there sent out there to do.

My sisters boyfriend has recently come out of the Blues and Royals regiment Harry's supposed to go out with and is still friends with all the boys and he sais there's some mixed feelings among them but they'd all be honoured to fight with him.

GhostWriter

I respect his decision to join in the fight. It shows that no matter what his background is, he believes he should be right out there with the rest of the brave men and women involved.

However, I do agree that he should not go. While I may respect him wanting to get involved, as you all have pointed out, the risk is far too great. He probably realizes this too and will stay out, though he obviously wants to get involved.

quaist

News...

Prince Harry to serve in Afghanistan : Prince Harry, London, troops, afghanistan : IBNLive.com : CNN-IBN

curlyhead

I absolutely agree. Whether it's Iraq or Afghanistan, he and his troop will be targets. This is a different world than when Prince Charles' uncle went to war.