Prince Harry's Tour of Duty in Afghanistan Dec 2007-Feb 2008

[Skydragon]

Originally Posted by Alison20

Skydragon, please let me take issue with you on the subject of the Gurkhas. They are not used and abused. It is a very longstanding agreement between Britain and Nepal - and is very popular with the Nepalese. They are all volunteers. Since the British Army contracted so much in recent decades, we couldn't employ as many Gurkhas as before, so now they have a similar arrangement with the Indian Army too.

We will have to disagree on that. They have to meet stringent criteria before they can join the British Army, they are paid servicemen, very many of them join up to escape the poverty of their own country. The very fact that they fought alongside the British, were wounded just like the British, but were denied the same pension as the British servicemen and women, is a disgrace. Having fought for British causes, they were not allowed to settle in the UK, if anyone has earned the right to settle here, it is them!

I have a soft spot for them, I and my family believe they are wonderful people, both as servicemen and as the friendliest, bravest individuals and I feel a deep sense of guilt that they have been so poorly treated by this country.

[Skydragon]

PATRIOTIC Romford MP Andrew Rosindell has blasted claims Prince Harry's military service was a "publicity stunt".

http://www.romfordrecorder.co.uk/con...A35%3A44%3A213

[kimlan]

I am so tired with the media. Why did they want to trash Harry? When the media label him "hero". Harry said "I am no hero". The media listened but they did not hear. For "publicity stunt" or not, when Harry was in Afghanistan, his life was in as dangerous as other soldiers. He only want to do his duty. So live him alone!

[Mermaid1962]

I agree whole-heartedly!

Originally Posted by kimlan

I am so tired with the media. Why did they want to trash Harry? When the media label him "hero". Harry said "I am no hero". The media listened but they did not hear. For "publicity stunt" or not, when Harry was in Afghanistan, his life was in as dangerous as other soldiers. He only want to do his duty. So live him alone!

[Russophile]

Originally Posted by Skydragon

PATRIOTIC Romford MP Andrew Rosindell has blasted claims Prince Harry's military service was a "publicity stunt".

http://www.romfordrecorder.co.uk/con...A35%3A44%3A213

The man's an ass! Anybody who knows military knows that they are there for a job to do. It's ingrained in them.

[Polly]

Originally Posted by Royal Fan

A Stunt........what Ignorance

I intimated that this was being posited and, quite scandalously to my mind, some time ago.

My own opinion is that we should disregard these gainsayers, which means, effectively, ignoring scurrilous tabloids like the Daily Mail.

I have no doubt that they employ minions to engage in reading and acting on readers' responses, and particularly those in forums such as this. Our indignation merely provides grist to their mill.

Deprive them all of oxygen and ignore them, is my preferred position. Yes, I know that it's difficult.

In a general sense, I can see the possible validity of some criticisms levelled at the royal family (which is not to say that I would agree with them all, though I do, some) but these attention-seeking, disreputable press functionaries, positively thrive on concocting controversy, and in a particularly mean-spirited way, at that.

When these journalists and clever-clogs commentators traipse off to Afghanistan to 'do their bit', then I'll more willingly listen to their sceptical denigrations of young Harry.

The bottom line is that Harry wanted to go, and Harry went. I know that he had extra-ordinary protection, but his bodyguard didn't accompany him everywhere, when he served just as other junior officers did as was at just as much risk.

For my own part, I rather admire the fact that Her Majesty, apparently, gave the final approval for Harry's engagement and that he didn't let her down.

[Polly]

Originally Posted by AuroraB

Polly,

Thank you for your wonderful portrayal of your grandfather. He truly was part of the "greatest generation" whose numbers are decreasing daily. Their contributions during and after WWII are immeasureable.

Thank you, too. Yes, Grandfather was one of those rare and special individuals who exist everywhere, amongst all nationalities and races, and who are an adornment to the human condition.

I actually remember Her Majesty's comments along the same lines pertaining to her own mother. I've heard Her Majesty say that the Queen Mother's generation was outstanding and exceptional, and brave and stoic beyond compare by our current standards. I agreed with our Queen, though I'm sure than she wouldn't, as I don't, ever wish to disparage those us striving for a better world today. Circumstances are just so very different.

A sense of duty can take many forms, as we all know. Political considerations aside (and I have many of those!) Harry's foray into Afghanistan was no more nor no less than that of an old-fashioned Prince of the Blood, anxious to do his duty and to find a sustainable and appropriate contemporary role in his life.

After all, he could have continued to simply drink-a-long in his nightclubs, and everyone would have just shrugged and passed him off as a waster.

Not for Harry, that wasn't!

[Skydragon]

British military chiefs are investigating a soldier who tried to cash in on Prince Harry's secret frontline posting to Afghanistan by blowing his cover during the agreed news blackout.

Bangkok's Independent Newspaper



Hopefully, Colchester here he comes!

[Duke of Marmalade]

Private Eye

The Private Eye is a UK satirical magazine. I think they do incredibly funny pront pages but of course that's up to everyone's personal taste and sense of humour

[Australian]

New Idea says sorry for Harry story

AN Australian women's magazine has apologised for breaking a global media blackout on Prince Harry's frontline deployment in Afghanistan.
In its latest issue, New Idea magazine says it is sorry it was not "alert to the possible ramifications" of running the story about Harry's secret tour of duty, which appeared in the magazine and on its website in January.
Few people noticed the initial report, but a scandal erupted after US website the Drudge Report picked up the story and broadcast it around the world, breaching an agreed global media blackout.

New Idea says sorry for Harry story | NEWS.com.au

[Russophile]

[quote=Skydragon;738800]British military chiefs are investigating a soldier who tried to cash in on Prince Harry's secret frontline posting to Afghanistan by blowing his cover during the agreed news blackout.

Bangkok's Independent Newspaper
[quote]
In my opinion, that's akin to treason and the man (I refuse to use the term "soldier" because there are those who wear that title proudly!) should be treated as such.

[tinkerbell1948]

Originally Posted by Australian

New Idea says sorry for Harry story

AN Australian women's magazine has apologised for breaking a global media blackout on Prince Harry's frontline deployment in Afghanistan.
In its latest issue, New Idea magazine says it is sorry it was not "alert to the possible ramifications" of running the story about Harry's secret tour of duty, which appeared in the magazine and on its website in January.
Few people noticed the initial report, but a scandal erupted after US website the Drudge Report picked up the story and broadcast it around the world, breaching an agreed global media blackout.

New Idea says sorry for Harry story | NEWS.com.au

Not good enough No Idea

Surely a deathly silence in the Press (especially the British press) should have alerted you to the possibility once you found out

No you just wanted a "scoop" and re-inforced to me why I don't buy your rag

[kpusa1981]

[quote]Why warrior Harry makes me feel sick

By PROFESSOR MARY BEARD - More by this author » Last updated at 00:12am on 13th March 2008
Comments (14)
Much debate has been triggered on academic internet sites over Prince Harry's front-line role in Afghanistan.


This followed a blog on the Times Literary Supplement website by Cambridge Classics don Professor Mary Beard, who said the "adulation" over the Prince was "a bit hard to take". Here, she explains her position - one with which the Mail doesn't necessarily agree...

How much easier it would have been had Prince Harry become a doctor, not a soldier. True, he would have needed rather better A-levels and a rather different sense of vocation.


But it would have caused fewer problems all round if he'd decided to spend his life listening to a heart-beat at the end of a stethoscope instead of looking down the barrel of a gun.
None of us knows exactly what Harry was up to near the front line in Afghanistan.
Whatever it was, I'm prepared to believe that he was showing considerable guts.
As a desk-bound academic, it's not my place to question a soldier's bravery. All the same, saving lives might have been a much more acceptable 21st-century image for a Prince than taking them.
To be fair to the young man, it was not exactly his fault that he was transformed overnight from Nazi impersonator and late-night clubber to hero of the nation, battling the Taliban in defence of the free world.
And Harry was certainly generous and gracious enough, on his return, to share the credit and point to the heroism of the men he had left behind.
But there was something about all those semi-staged interviews, saturating our news broadcasts, that made me feel distinctly sick.
First, there was that baseball cap Harry insisted on wearing.
On the front, over the royal brow, it proudly displayed not the Union flag but the Stars and Stripes - which, if you ask me, was taking the special relationship a step too far.
Even worse was the slogan emblazoned on the back, "We do bad things to bad people".
Was it a joke? If only.
No, this is the catchphrase of that sort of simplistic, thuggish, tit-for-tat politics that got us into the murderous mess of Iraq and Afghanistan in the first place.
And it's not exactly a very Christian sentiment, either - as I hope his grandmother might have pointed out to him.
Then there was the notorious snippet of the interview in which Harry revealed that he did not much like England.
Sorry, mate, I wanted to say, but as third in line to the throne it's your job to like England.
The rest of us can be as ambivalent as we like.
Ambivalence is a luxury you don't have, Harry (though you have plenty of other luxuries to make up for it).
So you'd better just get on with it. And if it's the Press that's bothering you back home, then maybe cutting down on those late-night visits to Boujis might help a bit. Scroll down for more...[quote]

Why warrior Harry makes me feel sick | the Daily Mail

[wbenson]

How much easier it would have been had Prince Harry become a doctor, not a soldier. True, he would have needed rather better A-levels and a rather different sense of vocation.

So basically, Harry would be a different person had he been a different person. Profound.

None of us knows exactly what Harry was up to near the front line in Afghanistan.

I'm willing to use my imagination.

All the same, saving lives might have been a much more acceptable 21st-century image for a Prince than taking them.

In his eyes, he may have been saving lives.

[Thomas Parkman]

Prince Henry is who he (Harry) is. He is not going to be a doctor or any other noble thing that we would like him to be. That is what makes human beings interesting, they usually do not live up to what we think they should be or do. they have their lives to live on their terms. So Harry is ambiguous about England, there is much to be ambiguous about any place on earth and if you had the paparazzi after you all the time you might not be so enthusiasic either. Cheers.

[Mermaid1962]

Yes, think of all those women who were executed by stoning in the public arena when the Taliban were in power!

Originally Posted by wbenson

In his eyes, he may have been saving lives.

[Russophile]

Originally Posted by Mermaid1962

Yes, think of all those women who were executed by stoning in the public arena when the Taliban were in power!

The Taliban are still in power and there are a lot more women that are being stoned in other Arabic countries.
You know, Prince Harry only wanted to be with his troops to be able to show them that he wouldn't order them into battle without doing it himself. That's just the sign of a good leader. Some idiot spilt the beans and cut that short. He was doing his duty just like a lot of our sons and daughters are doing over there. I am very proud of him and all of our brave men and women over there. :americaneagle:

[Mermaid1962]

So am I.

Originally Posted by Russophile

The Taliban are still in power and there are a lot more women that are being stoned in other Arabic countries.
You know, Prince Harry only wanted to be with his troops to be able to show them that he wouldn't order them into battle without doing it himself. That's just the sign of a good leader. Some idiot spilt the beans and cut that short. He was doing his duty just like a lot of our sons and daughters are doing over there. I am very proud of him and all of our brave men and women over there. :americaneagle:

[Tsarina Anastasia]

I agree. Prince Harry is very brave. I kinda knew he was in Afghanistan before it was announced. I mean-he wasn't in the news for a while : ) & I figured it out on speculation, but do you think sending him was good or bad for him-as a prince, as a troop, and as a person?

[Russophile]

Originally Posted by Tsarina Anastasia

I agree. Prince Harry is very brave. I kinda knew he was in Afghanistan before it was announced. I mean-he wasn't in the news for a while : ) & I figured it out on speculation, but do you think sending him was good or bad for him-as a prince, as a troop, and as a person?

As a Prince, it gives him credibility. He wouldn't ask his people to do something he wouldn't do. As a troop, well, there was a high price of danger involved. When you're a child, well, when I was a child, we played all sorts of variations of dodge ball. The person who was the "Doctor" and who could pull people who got hit to their mat and make them "alive" again, was always a target to get out first. Same with Harry, but that's always been the price you pay.
As a person, well, he has been exposed to the way others live. He's been exposed to danger, to harsh conditions etc. If you really want to GROW as a person, then indeed, you can't help but take that life experience and tuck it under your belt and become a better person because of it.

(Sky, my boy will be starting to come home in about week for vacation! )