Prince Harry Current Events 16: January-March 2007

[MARG]

Hey, come on guys! Get with the programme!

At the very least Harry will be accompanied by 6 protection officers, 12 SAS to watch their collective behinds, 8 civil servants (to keep the press... oops I mean the government in the loop), 2 polo ponies 4 grooms and 150 cases of Crystal!

My sources are not sure whether he will be spending 150 or 350,000 pound on complimentary fireworks and the final arrangements for Chelsea to visit every other month have not quite been finessed. However we are assured that every single little thing the press could imagine will be supplied, even a disco nightclub to get smashed in every other night.

 

[Mahoogie]

I wish Prince Harrry the best and may God protect him..I admire his courage..I remember reading somewhere about an American Psychic who has this vibes about Harry's personality..She says that Harry possess leadership qualities that his grandmother The Queen has more than his brother William..Its quite odd because Harry is obviously more laid back than William regarding his partying ways but maybe Harry has more to offer deep inside.

 

[Christo's Girl]

It was irresponsible for the papers to print about his deployment. But on the other hand, Harry gone from the UK for just one week would have caused alarm. I am worried about he other soldiers in Harry's regiment. I hope the insurgents don't get any ideas.

 

[Sister Morphine]

I wish Prince Harrry the best and may God protect him..I admire his courage..I remember reading somewhere about an American Psychic who has this vibes about Harry's personality..She says that Harry possess leadership qualities that his grandmother The Queen has more than his brother William..Its quite odd because Harry is obviously more laid back than William regarding his partying ways but maybe Harry has more to offer deep inside.

I completely agree with this. It shows a lot about him that he's sticking to this, and wanting to serve with the rest of his men. It doesn't mean I won't be less worried about him because he WANTS to go, I just know that I deeply admire that about him.

 

[sirhon11234]

I pray for Harry's safe return. He's so brave to fight in Iraq. Because hell would I ever die for this war. Harry better be careful out there. The Wales family already buried Diana they don't need to bury another loved one.

 

[Roslyn]

I love my Queen, I love her family. And that makes me worry about their safety even though I don't know them personally. I think it's patriotism more than anything.

I understand what you're saying, but in my case I wouldn't call it patriotism. I certainly wouldn't care as deeply if an Australian politician were at risk....not unless it was one I particularly like, and there are few of them.

In the case of the British RF, I feel a deep emotional attachment. As I have probably said before and will probably say again, my heart might be Australian but my blood - physically and metaphorically - is English. My father's parents were English as were my mother's grandparents. I care about all of the RF, even those I don't know much about, because they are my Royal Family and I think one feels a special tie because of that connection which runs deeply within us and is tied to our heritage. Perhaps it is patriotism after all.

But as well as that, we here all feel we "know" Harry to some extent. We might be strangers to him, but he is not a stranger to us. We (those old enough ) grew up with his father and attended his parents' wedding, we knew Harry before he was born, saw pics of him as a baby, followed his schooling, felt his sadness at his mother's funeral, and watched him grow up and train to be a soldier. We know this young man; he is not a stranger.

As for other soldiers, although unless we are psychopaths we care about the well-being of all humans, but I think we have to personalise them before we can feel the same sort of concern as we feel for Harry. Doesn't military training teach you to de-personalise people so you can kill them? When I see film of soldiers sending messages home at Christmas, they become individuals with family and friends and a personality, and I then think of them as individual people and worry about them when I hear there is fighting where they are stationed. I can't feel the same way about faceless figures in blotchy/greeny/sandy coloured uniforms because I don't "know" them.

Harry has a difficult job as the "spare". He has chosen a military career and wants to do it properly and well, as did his uncle Andrew. He had the right to make that choice. Andrew had a chance at active service, and Harry wants that chance too.

But this is a different war. IMO the only grey area about his deployment relates to whether Harry's presence, because of who he is, will increase the risk to his fellow soldiers. If there is a real chance that it will, he should probably decline to go. But that is an awful lot to ask of a young officer.

 

[ZandraRae]

If Harry is going to Iraq, which I will not believe until we hear it from a reliable source, I will be praying for him and for all the other soldiers out there. I pray for all of their safe returns. When Harry signed up, he knew the outcome of his action, and if that is his choice, as is the choice of many others, I will respect that. Although I think it would be crazy to give him officers to protect him. That would just get him noticed more.

 

[kaffir]

Well Blair just announced he's withdrawing the troops, so who knows if he'll ever go. Maybe he'll go to Afghanistan instead.

 

[Skydragon]

Blair is expected to announce the slow withdrawal of troops in Iraq. As you can see from this article, none of the media can agree on what he is doing or when.

It's best to wait for an actual announcement, but this will not affect whether Harry goes or not. Troops have to be rotated, whether they will eventually be withdrawn or not.

 

[Lady Bluffton]

Reflecting on the "Will Harry go to Iraq" story. Seems to me that when Prince Andrew went to the Falklands, two things were in play: (i) was there as much danger to him there (i.e. days before Al Qaeda style terrorism) other than just the regular battlefield combat worries; and (ii) hadn't William been conceived or born by then?

With Harry, there is always the worry of him being a magnet for more than the danger inherent in battlefields and William does not yet have an heir???

Is that why there is opposition to him serving in Iraq???

Hmmm...

 

[corazon]

we can to wait until tomorrow, the times when andrew was to malvinas are VERy differents that now. Andrew was the last member of the royal family in a war ans now harry but I think now is very very danger for harry, especially for the ''rebels'' in irak

 

[Skydragon]

Reflecting on the "Will Harry go to Iraq" story. Seems to me that when Prince Andrew went to the Falklands, two things were in play: (i) was there as much danger to him there (i.e. days before Al Qaeda style terrorism) other than just the regular battlefield combat worries; and (ii) hadn't William been conceived or born by then?
...

It wasn't just the Falkland Islands which had been invaded and we had to defend, we still had serious trouble with the IRA. Those charming chaps and chapesses used to plant car bombs, fire rocket launchers at forces bases on the mainland etc.

I wouldn't have called the Falklands a safe environment for Andrew either, especially after the sinking of HMS Sheffield, HMS Ardent, HMS Antelope, MV Atlantic Conveyor and HMS Coventry, any of which he could have been on.

Any and all conflict zones are dangerous!

 

[kpusa1981]

William was not born until after the Falklands war was over.

 

[milla Ca]

Harry´ to be sent to Iraq´

BBC NEWS | UK | Harry 'to be sent to Iraq'

 

[Roslyn]

It wasn't just the Falkland Islands which had been invaded and we had to defend, we still had serious trouble with the IRA. Those charming chaps and chapesses used to plant car bombs, fire rocket launchers at forces bases on the mainland etc.

I wouldn't have called the Falklands a safe environment for Andrew either, especially after the sinking of HMS Sheffield, HMS Ardent, HMS Antelope, MV Atlantic Conveyor and HMS Coventry, any of which he could have been on.

Any and all conflict zones are dangerous!

Good point about the IRA. In this discussion we mustn't forget them and their tricks and in particular what they did to Lord Mountbatten and his family. Is there really much difference between the IRA (as they were then) and Al Quaeda? Probably not, except for reasons associated with the fact that the members of Al Quaeda and their ilk come from a different cultural and religious background and have some different tricks up their sleeves. The intention and intensity of hatred is possibly the same though, and the IRA targeted individuals for special treatment.

I think an important difference between what Harry is facing and what Andrew was part of is that the Falklands war was more a "traditional" war between "traditional" armies/navies. Being lost in the sinking of a vessel at sea is an accepted risk of naval service - the same risk faced by his father and great-uncle and many other members of his family, and all other naval personnel who serve on ships. As far as I know, the risk to Andrew was no greater because of who he was.

Harry, however, faces post-9/11 issues, and weapons and communications technology 25 years more advanced, and the very real threat of being kidnapped and tortured on TV by masked terrorists holding guns at his head or knives at his throat threatening to execute him in front of millions of viewers - precisely because of who he is. He would be a magnet for terrorists, and I believe he would be at greater risk because of who he is and would put his comrades at greater risk for that reason. If it weren't for that fact I would say it's his decision and he should go if he wants, as I believe he must be aware of the risks.

And Iraq or Afganistan, the risks are the same, IMO.

 

[Skydragon]

the very real threat of being kidnapped and tortured on TV by masked terrorists holding guns at his head or knives at his throat threatening to execute him in front of millions of viewers - precisely because of who he is

Very true Roslyn. I often curse the media for showing such disgusting behaviour, if they didn't get the coverage, they might give it up Every British soldier faces the same threat and I would be as upset for their family as I would for Harry's.

 

[Sister Morphine]

Harry, however, faces post-9/11 issues, and weapons and communications technology 25 years more advanced, and the very real threat of being kidnapped and tortured on TV by masked terrorists holding guns at his head or knives at his throat threatening to execute him in front of millions of viewers - precisely because of who he is. He would be a magnet for terrorists, and I believe he would be at greater risk because of who he is and would put his comrades at greater risk for that reason.

All the more reason why I don't want him to go. As other people have pointed out, we've all gotten "attached" to the RF and if a member of said family was in that situation, I personally would feel like it was a member of my own family there, not just a British prince. Harry can serve his country without putting his life and the lives of his fellow soldiers at even more of a risk.


With Blair withdrawing troops, perhaps this will all become a moot point.

 

[Avalon]

With Blair withdrawing troops, perhaps this will all become a moot point.

I assume British troops are rotated at some point (new troops are sent instead of the=ose soldiers, who'd been there for some time, at least it is so with Armenian troops), so even if some troops are withdrawn, Prince Harry (his regiment) can still be sent.

 

[Skydragon]

All the more reason why I don't want him to go. As other people have pointed out, we've all gotten "attached" to the RF and if a member of said family was in that situation, I personally would feel like it was a member of my own family there, not just a British prince.
With Blair withdrawing troops, perhaps this will all become a moot point.

I am puzzled that some people see a difference between the life of someone, who by an accident of birth is called 'a prince' and the life of everyone else. Take a minute to think about it, are you really all saying that you would be more upset if it was Harry being tortured and killed, than someone elses child! Far from believing that Harry should not go, I believe that he is no more important than any other soldier that is in the armed forces and should, like them have to take his chance.

Blair is not withdrawing all the British troops from Iraq, just 1600 at this time. He is also sending more to Afghanistan!

Yes Avalon, British troops are rotated, the same as in your country.

 

[Sister Morphine]

I am puzzled that some people see a difference between the life of someone, who by an accident of birth is called 'a prince' and the life of everyone else. Take a minute to think about it, are you really all saying that you would be more upset if it was Harry being tortured and killed, than someone elses child! Far from believing that Harry should not go, I believe that he is no more important than any other soldier that is in the armed forces and should, like them have to take his chance.

I didn't say that nor did I imply that, and I'm hurt that you think I think that way. If it was ANYONE in that situation, I would be devastated, but like others have said we've all come to "know" members of the Royal Family, and because of that, we would react differently than if it was another soldier. We would react as though it was a person we were personally acquainted with. That is absolutely NOT saying that no one would care if it wasn't Harry or that we would not feel sadness or sorrow for that soldier and his family.

 

[Skydragon]

I didn't say that nor did I imply that, and I'm insulted that you think I think that way. If it was ANYONE in that situation, I would be devastated, but like others have said we've all come to "know" members of the Royal Family, and because of that, we would react differently than if it was another soldier. We would react as though it was a person we were personally acquainted with. That is absolutely NOT saying that no one would care if it wasn't Harry or that we would not feel sadness or sorrow for that soldier and his family.

Perhaps I misread this sentence "I personally would feel like it was a member of my own family there". Having lost family members, there is a world of difference between the upset most people feel for the loss of a relative and someone they only read about.
It was not directed just at you and I meant no insult.

 

[Sister Morphine]

Perhaps I misread this sentence "I personally would feel like it was a member of my own family there". Having lost family members, there is a world of difference between the upset most people feel for the loss of a relative and someone we only read about.

I refer to even my friends and acquaintances as my "family". They are not blood-related to me, but they are still very close to me. That's what I was talking about. I was saying that I would feel like it was someone I knew, someone I was familiar with that was there.

 

[Roslyn]

I think all people in that situation become like friends or at least acquaintances to us. We get to know them, because we see them in distress in need of help and that automatically brings out the protective instinct in us, and we are told a lot about them and their families and so we feel we know them. I mentioned in an earlier post that when I see individual servicemen/women giving those Christmas messages they become individuals I "know" and I can relate to them more.

I simply cannot feel the same way about people who are only statistics to me; I need a name or face. When I see an unmarked white cross at a war cemetery I feel sadness, but feel more when I see a nameplate and age, etc. And I think the better you know someone, the more you feel. It's a sliding scale, with the unmarked white cross at one end and a close family member at the other, but I think that's only natural.

 

[Elspeth]

I think it's precisely because of the emotional attachment that Harry is more at risk. Terrorists know they can get more mileage out of capturing and threatening to behead him on TV than by doing it to a soldier unknown to anyone but his immediate family and friends.

 

[ysbel]

I don't get the personal attachment to celebrities either. It would be sad if Harry were killed but I'd be a lot sadder if my own brother were killed in the war.

I understand that people personalize celebrities whose faces and life details they know but to me, that's not the same thing as knowing a person personally and feeling the loss when they're gone.

Quite frankly, I'd feel quite differently if a close relative or friend died than I would if Harry or another royal died. Its hard to explain.

 

[sara1981]

Harry's won the right to fight
The Sun Online - News: Harry's won the right to fight

 

[Royal Fan]

WOOHOO! The Boys heading out!!!!!!!!! IM BLOODY PROUD hes doing this!
may God Be With Him and may they all Icluding come Home Safe God Save The Queen!

 

[Sister Morphine]

Harry's won the right to fight
The Sun Online - News: Harry's won the right to fight

God save him and keep him safe. I hope he and the other men of his unit come home safe and unharmed.

 

[Princess Robijn]

Is it officialy confirmed??

 

[Skydragon]

NO, it has not been officially confirmed yet!

The Sun says "in a statement on deployments this afternoon". All the regiments are told between 1 - 2 weeks before any official announcement, so they are wrong to say "Harry will learn today", he already knows!