Posted on 02/29/2008 4:54:27 AM PST by Wavrnr10
LONDON - Britain's defense chief decided Friday to immediately pull Prince Harry out of Afghanistan after news of his deployment was leaked on the U.S. Web site the Drudge Report.
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Air Chief Marshal Jock Stirrup, chief of the Defense Staff, said he decided to withdraw the prince after senior commanders assessed the risks, the Defense Ministry said in a statement.
Harry, third in line to the British throne, has been serving on the front line with an army unit in Afghanistan's southern Helmand province since mid-December. He was originally due to return to Britain within weeks, but "the situation has now clearly changed," the statement said.
The decision was based on concerns that worldwide media coverage of Harry in Afghanistan could put him and his comrades at increased risk.
The ministry asked the media not to speculate on Harry's location — or how and when he would return — until he was back in Britain.
British officials had hoped to keep Prince Harry's deployment secret until he had safely returned, but they released video of him serving in Helmand Province after the leak appeared on the Drudge Report.
The ministry deplored the leak by "elements of the foreign media."
"However, this was a circumstance that we have always been aware of and one for which we have had contingency plans in place," the statement said.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the prince had demonstrated that he was an exemplary young officer. "The whole of Britain will be proud of the outstanding service he is giving," he said.
Harry, 23, is the first royal to serve in a combat zone since his uncle Prince Andrew flew helicopters during Britain's war with Argentina over the Falkland Islands in 1982.
Tours to Afghanistan usually last six months; Harry has served 10 weeks.
Harry conceded in an interview filmed last week that when he returns to Britain he could be a "top target" for Islamic terrorists.
"Once this ... comes out, every single person that supports them will be trying to slot me," he said.
The deployment plan had been disclosed to reporters, with no specific date, but was not reported previously because of an agreement between the Ministry of Defense and all major news organizations operating in Britain, including The Associated Press. The news blackout was intended to reduce the risk to the prince and his regiment.
Harry was supposed to go to Iraq with the Blues and Royals regiment in May last year but the assignment was canceled because of security fears. Iraqi insurgents made threats on Internet chat rooms, saying he would not make it home alive.
Harry trained at Sandhurst military academy and joined the Blues and Royals as a cornet, the cavalry regiment's equivalent of a second lieutenant. After being held back from his Iraq assignment, the prince threatened to quit the army if he was not given the chance to see combat.
Harry said his older brother, William, who also graduated from Sandhurst and is training as a military pilot, is jealous of his deployment. As Britain's likely future king, Prince William is unlikely ever to see combat.
Helmand province is where most of the 7,800 British soldiers in Afghanistan are based. It has seen some of the country's fiercest combat in recent years, with NATO-led forces fighting the Taliban and al-Qaida militants.
Harry's work in Afghanistan has involved calling in airstrikes on Taliban positions as well as going out on foot patrols. He spent part of his deployment at a base 500 yards from Taliban positions, the military said.
Since Harry's arrival, his battle group has been responsible for around 30 enemy deaths, a Ministry of Defense official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information.
Can you tell us what that pic is about?
I don’t remember it that way—it was an O’Reilly-type misunderstanding I thought.
I don’t recall that sentiment on this board in ‘98 or ‘99.
Can some other oldtimers chime in on why there was a Drudge/FR kerfluffle?
Blessings and gratitude to you and your husband. We are lucky to have the British with us in this fight.
That’s it. He’s a man’s man.
The British PRESS kept quiet. The Aussies and Americans only spoke once the MoD “leaked” information.
And even then, the Drudge picked it up AFTER the Aussies.
Thanks for the info.
Even so, Drudge should not have amplified the info while the Prince was still in A-stan.
What if the Aussies said “ US Seal Team on way to Bin Laden’s hideout”? Drudge would be wrong for repeating the info.
Regardless, Prince Harry’s 3 month tour is up, for better or for worse.
“I don’t recall that sentiment on this board in ‘98 or ‘99.”
Possibly, “perceived antisemitism” would be a better description. There was a time when you couldn’t disagree with the government policies of the nation of Israel without being called an anti Semite by the likes of Clarity and others who turned a lot of threads into JDL battlegrounds.
“I saw him being interviewed after it was discovered he was there and he talked about enjoying meeting people who didn’t know “who” he was and said, “Until you guys showed up I was a “normal” person.””
Not surprising. When you’re a British royal, particularly, or some other sort of VIP, you must get really sick of forever dealing with bootlickers, ass-kissers and the rest of the suck-ups. Getting to live as a regular guy and hear people’s real opinions without anyone worrying about offending you or some breech of protocol must be very refreshing.
I say kudos to the young man for at least tyring to get out there to serve his country.
“Air Chief Marshal Jock Stirrup”
Jock’s a big football fan and all-around athletic supporter.
The MoD told British and international news agencies when the Prince went down there, but asked them to keep it confidential. All complied until an Australian magazine broke the news. That's where Drudge apparently picked it up from.
I don’t know how I missed all of that. Clarity was a good egg and did a lot of pro bono legal work defending FR in media lawsuits.
Thanks for the info.
“I say kudos to the young man for at least tyring to get out there to serve his country.”
And let me add, just as many kudos for all the other men and women who have volunteered to serve their country in places like Iraq and Afghanistan.
I admire him for wanting to serve. I feel badly that he has to leave though I do understand the increased risk to him as well as the rest of the unit.
It seems that he was enjoying being a “normal” person for a while. God bless him for his service.
I agree and I think his mother, the late Princess Diana would be proud of him. He shows grit..good on you Harry>
No, but he is definitely more of a public figure. Al Queda and/or the Taliban had probably already put plans in place to target him - which of course, puts every other soldier anywhere near him in greater danger.
Pulling Harry out of Afghanistan at this point was the right thing to do.
And I've lost respect for Drudge.
“Drudge put Harry in more mortal danger than he was”
Drudge did no such thing. He simply repeated news already reported by two separate papers, in two different countries. The news was already out there.
Matt Drudge should not have revealed Harry’s presence in Afghanistan.
Whether it was out there or not, a person’s life and those of his unit were in danger.
In my opinion, Drudge should not have jumped on that bandwagon, knowing that fact and that his site can be read by a multiple of millions more readers than the other sources.
That is called judgment.
So do I. Seems like a decent young man. I feel sorry for his having to leave but he really needs to in order to protect not only himself but his combat buds.
If I recall correctly, yes those three are Royal Marines.
Cheers.
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