Prince Harry's Tour of Duty in Afghanistan: December 2007-February 2008


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he looks so different to me in those pics...I can't describe it. Much more mature..it's funny seeing him with facial hair.

Thats what I was thinking! He looks like a "man", lol. But when were all these pictures taken? (not today right?). They must have expected to release them when he got home instead of now I bet.
 
I do think the news leak about Prince Harry is somehow related to the current American presidental election. Yesterday, John McCain was in my Texas hometown for an early morning rally when asked by a school boy about his agenda once in office..Sen. McCain's charged comment combined with Sen. Obama's rebuttal was fodder for every news source all day yesterday..and this particular issue ties into the current situations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Considering the manipulation of the media for American political discussion, I am not surprised one bit with the timing of this announcement regarding Prince Harry's military service.

The Fedora wearing Matt Drudge, has in the past, been a part of such dirty press manipulation.
 
In fact it was not Matt Drudge who broke the story, but a German publication.

Come on! If you refer to the article in "Frau im Spiegel" I found mentioned in one article of yesterday then I doubt anyone believed that this Yellow Press Mag had a real coup. They are the kind of journalists who write about William wanting to kill Camilla or Beatrix hating Maxima. Stuff like that - noone takes them serious, really. Plus as far as I could gather from the other article they just asked if it was possible... Well, anyone could have asked that!
 
Thats what I was thinking! He looks like a "man", lol. But when were all these pictures taken? (not today right?). They must have expected to release them when he got home instead of now I bet.

for sure...I just saw a news report that said Harry is deeply disappointed right now.
 
he looks so different to me in those pics...I can't describe it. Much more mature..it's funny seeing him with facial hair.

Yes, he's very different from the guy coming out drunk of the night club.
 
I noticed in one of the photos of Prince Harry he is wearing a khaki coloured baseball cap with the American Flag!

Loved it!!!!
 
Come on! If you refer to the article in "Frau im Spiegel" I found mentioned in one article of yesterday then I doubt anyone believed that this Yellow Press Mag had a real coup. They are the kind of journalists who write about William wanting to kill Camilla or Beatrix hating Maxima. Stuff like that - noone takes them serious, really. Plus as far as I could gather from the other article they just asked if it was possible... Well, anyone could have asked that!


Still it was published elsewhere first. Not to say that I think Dridge is blameless, he should have kept his mouth shut, but it was 2 other media outlets first. Also one in Australia.
 
Do you think it was such a secret on the spot, though? I mean, presumably other soldiers and any local people associated with the army will already know, and presumably if the Taliban spies are any good, they also already know. The main difference is that we know too now. I hope they don't decide to bring him back to the UK now - the press already has too much influence over what happens with the royal family, and that would just confirm the idea that the press calls the shots where the royals are concerned.
It was probably only the other servicemen and women on his unit, who knew he was out there and there is normally such a strong bond of fellowship, they all look out for one another. They are not even supposed to go to the Jingly markets and it is unlikely many of the locals even know who Harry is. That is the problem, because now the Taliban will probably make an extra effort to attack each and every known base.

The troops, do frequent the 'Coffee Bean' and the PX and they also swop items of clothing, apparently. :D
 
Thinking about it for a moment, it is rather sad when Harry made the comment about "feeling normal" by serving in war....But then I don't want any war anywhere....Yet "peace" doesn't necessarily mean the absence of conflict...

And then let's not forget Chelsy! It must have been more than difficult for her knowing what she must have known!!! Three Cheers for her "war effort". As my mum used to say "Loose lips sink ships"...
 
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I'm actually quite upset about the media's leak. I wish Harry's tour could be kept private until he returned home safely. Prior to the news, Harry was able to blend in and serve w/o any fear that he would be targeted b/c of his royal status and whatnot. Now that the public know about his stay in Afghanistan, he might be open to targets and all.

Other than my being upset of the media leak. I am very proud of Harry. I am pleased that he is making use of his training from Sandhurst and not just sitting back and 'watching' it instead. I believe this tour will definately mature him incredibly. Well done Henry.
 
Do you think it was such a secret on the spot, though? I mean, presumably other soldiers and any local people associated with the army will already know, and presumably if the Taliban spies are any good, they also already know. The main difference is that we know too now. I hope they don't decide to bring him back to the UK now - the press already has too much influence over what happens with the royal family, and that would just confirm the idea that the press calls the shots where the royals are concerned.

You are absolutely right. I am sure that the Taliban has learnt about Prince Harry’s presence from the local intelligence sources, but not from the Drudge Report.
Freedom of speech? The right to express your feelings without the need to fear for repercussions? Quite the democratic thing, IMHO.

As for the media having the right to publish everything they want in a democracy, that is not the case. All democratic countries have laws about the rights of the media and while these are protected (here in Germany even as constitutional rights in our constitution) there are rules which have to be obeyed and rules which any serious journalist will obey because it's the right thing to do.

IMHO the world would have survived without knowing where prince Harry has spent these last weeks. While it is a newsworthy information, it is not a necessary information. So the publishers should have weighted the consequences for the prince and his fellow soldiers against the world's right of information and decided to keep quiet. As most did till the news actually broke. Skydragon is right: those who published that information sit comfortably and peaceful at home while others are facing the consequences. Shame on them!
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This is an imperfect world with rules and laws that can be creatively interpreted. So the stable European democracies and monarchies should reap both positive and negative consequences of the freedom of press. I believe that editors should have weighed the consequences for usual soldiers, but for protected Prince Harry. I doubt very much if Prince Harry would have put in any real danger.
 
It possible since it did come that be back in England soon or will he finish out his tour?
 
Good for Harry!

Harry has grown up so much in the last two years well done to him for serving his country and for his personal achievements. :clap:
 
You are absolutely right. I am sure that the Taliban has learnt about Prince Harry’s presence from the local intelligence sources, but not from the Drudge Report.

This is an imperfect world with rules and laws that can be creatively interpreted. So the stable European democracies and monarchies should reap both positive and negative consequences of the freedom of press. I believe that editors should have weighed the consequences for usual soldiers, but for protected Prince Harry. I doubt very much if Prince Harry would have put in any real danger.

I'm all for freedom of the press. That freedom is part of the very reason soldiers are fighting in Afghanistan right now. But in this case I think the media used their freedom irresponsibly, even though it's certainly possible the Taliban already knew Harry was in Afghanistan.

On another note, I think it's great that Harry is in Afghanistan, because obviously as a trained soldier he wanted to go and fight. And since Queen Elizabeth allowed her own son Prince Andrew to go into active combat I'm not surprised she was encouraging towards Harry.

Probably if Harry (and his troop) comes out of Afghanistan safely, the breaking of the media blackout will be mostly forgotten. But I can see there being serious repercussions for the media if (God forbid) anything happens to him in Afghanistan.
 
I'm guessing they didn't have much time to react since it basically hit the internet and then hit every other media outlet pretty fast.
 
I googled New Idea to vent my spleen and discovered 12 pages of the most splendidly explicit invective I have ever seen. :D:D:D

By the time I had signed in on Yahoo to enable me login to recommend a very good Vicar to the editor should his/her parents ever decide to marry, the page was no longer available. Gee, I wonder why? :innocent:

Needless to say, I will never buy another copy. :censored:
 
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I doubt very much if Prince Harry would have put in any real danger.
Really, he and every soldier/airman out there has been put in a great deal of extra danger, all because someone wanted to make an even quicker buck! The media caused his mothers death, lets hope that not only Harry but all service personel do not pay the price!
I googled New Idea to vent my spleen and discovered 12 pages of the most splendidly explicit invective I have ever seen. :D:D:D

By the time I had signed in on Yahoo to enable me login to recommend a very good Vicar to the editor should his/her parents ever decide to marry, the page was no longer available. Gee, I wonder why? :innocent:

Needless to say, I will never buy another copy. :censored:
Good for you, here the blame is being laid firmly at the door of Drudge.
Prince Harry Fighting In Afghanistan For Past 10 Weeks |Sky News|UK News
 
Really, he and every soldier/airman out there has been put in a great deal of extra danger, all because someone wanted to make an even quicker buck! The media caused his mothers death, lets hope that not only Harry but all service personel do not pay the price!

That's a terrible situation we're facing right now. If he comes back, the media will once again win some power and show people that Royals are simple muppets to them. If he stays, he's putting his life and his partner's in danger due to his high-profile. Let's hope he'll be fine whatever is done.
 
I think we're all on tenderhooks waiting to see what the next move is going to be. This leak is jeopardizing a lot! Someone has to answer for this.
 
I know what you mean! I thought of the similarity:rolleyes:, and I'm not even one who believes that Harry's Hewitt's son!

Brace yourselves for the James Hewitt comparisons which are likely to follow.
 
I agree completely, Skydragon. When the news came out today about the lead through the Drudge Report, I was quite bothered by it. The media shouldn't have this kind of power.

What a disgrace this 'newspaper' is, to break the news. Shameful, they should be prosecuted!!!!!!!!:bang::bang::bang:


They normally stay for 4-6 months and he was NOT due to return soon!
The interview was given, on a good faith basis, one the Australian, German & US 'journalists' broke.
It was supposed to stay quiet until he was home, but the journalists were allowed to get their 'war photos' in preparation for the release of the story. All the other media outlets had kept to the agreement, just these '******' releasing details and now all hell will break loose. Not only in the media but every allied unit, every soldier in Afghanistan is now at greater risk!
 
There are a fair number of Canadians there as well, both soldiers and civilian contractors involved in the rebuilding. There was a report on the news that the Canadians and the British will be acting more closely together soon.

It's madness to let him stay there. UK has been, with the US, the main country engaged in this war. The Talibans have one wish : destroy every single occidental soul around. Harry is the perfect target to spread fear.
 
The news of the Princes' deployment and service in Afghanistan has been in the public domain in Australia for nearly 2 months! I most certainly was shown the magazine article, in New Idea, stating that he'd spent Christmas in the war zone, early in January, and another article in the same magazine the following week. The second article stated that Harry threatened to resign his commission and enlist as a private if he was continually thwarted, and also claimed that his father was the most reluctant to let him go.

Ergo, since January 7th, the Taliban has known that the Prince was in their territory. Harry's presence in Afghanistan is, thus, not news to them.

New Idea is the magazine which first published the tapped conversation between Prince Charles and the then Mrs Parker Bowles, i.e. 'Camillagate', one of the most despicable and shameful breaches of privacy which I've ever encountered. From memory, this was published in January, too.

There is informed opinion here which believes that this is a specific route which sections of the UK press follows when it wishes to break a story or countermand an embargo. As many Australians party, more or less, from the first Tuesday in November (Melbourne Cup - of huge national interest and a public holiday in Melbourne) through December and January, until Australia Day (26th January) and are more concerned with surf, sand and sun, and cricket, and barbeques, and generally enjoying the good life which Australia offers, little attention is usually given to major news stories, particularly those appearing in gossip rags. It does mean, however, that something which might be proscribed in another country can then be openly discussed in those places, i.e. 'In Australia, it's been reported that....'

A few things, here. First, there is no compunction on the media of any foreign country to adhere to any ban or blackout imposed by the British Defence Forces. This, of course, is a quite separate issue from the ethics of anyone from anywhere breaking an embargo, particularly on such a sensitive issue.

I'd also like to know who, in the UK, betrayed the confidence reposed in them. He or she is certainly guilty of culpable betrayal. Was he or she amply rewarded, financially? Was it someone from the Palace (as I seem to recall that New Idea inferred) or one of Harry's friends who disclosed this secret (New Idea reported on a big farewell party for Harry at a nightclub - Bujis)? Or was it, as many in the media believe, simply a Fleet Street stratagem, following a tried and erstwhile true course?

One aspect has been widely discussed here: that the media-interests in the UK which were disappointed that the local press didn't respond to the 'Harry story from Australia' after all, drew Matt Drudge's attention to it, knowing that Drudge would only be interested in 'breaking news' and have no obligation, whatsoever, to British interests. On the other hand, I can well imagine that many Americans would be quite proud and pleased to know that a scion of one of their eminent and notable families was 'doing his duty' with the ordinary joes in the army. And, after all, the US has troops in Afghanistan, as for that matter, does Australia. So, trying to think of any possible positive spin in this matter, given that the enemy already had the information about Harry's presence, could it have been a well-meaning but ill-conceived idea to boost the morale of the Allied troops, given that the war has become so intransigent, difficult, and, according to some vociferous critics, ultimately unwinnable?

As a matter of interest: when I first read the two stories, I checked out the magazine on the net. It was gratifying to read that a large number of readers had recorded their anger and annoyance with New Idea on its website, chiding it for endangering the prince and his cohort and denouncing its utter irresponsibility. The pages, still up earlier today, seem to have been, as a consequence of the outcry, removed. Drudge also has removed any reference to New Idea from his website, as well, claiming it as his 'scoop'. I'm quite happy for him to do so, especially as I truly believe that the whole was a deliberate and contrived, cynical exercise.
 
I'll bet that Harry is really annoyed that his cover has been blown, leaving him and his regiment open to all sorts of added danger. Good on him for going there, (we all knew that he said that he wanted to go...)
His TV interview tonight was interesting, he came across as a nice young man, and hinted that the Queen had had a hand in him being posted to Afganistan. Son of a good father there I see, but I'll bet my bottom dollar that he is soon pulled home after this...the press should be ashamed of themselves. I hope that he and his comrades remain safe in the meantime...
 
I knew something was up with Harry and now we all know what it was -- unfortunately. As the mother of a daughter whom, at age 20/21, served two tours in Afghanistan with the US Army National Guard, I am certain it was difficult for the Queen, Charles and the rest of the family to have Harry go and I am just as certain they are very, very proud of him.

That the news leaked and he has probably already been sent home, is a crying shame and an outrage. I wonder if it would be illegal for me to send a case of rotten eggs to Drudge, as it appears he is nothing more than a rotten egg himelf! I am with SkyDragon, knowing what it truly means to be incandescent with rage! I probably lit up my entire neighborhood once I heard of the leak and by whom it was leaked. "Livid" seems too mild a word to describe my feelings.

I can only pray for Harry's safety and the safety of all others currently serving their coountries with pride, dignity and honor in Afghanistan and Iraq.

There is so much racing around inside me, thoughts, feelings, emotions, I hardly know what to say or at whom I can rage.

Cat
 
I knew something was up with Harry and now we all know what it was -- unfortunately. As the mother of a daughter whom, at age 20/21, served two tours in Afghanistan with the US Army National Guard, I am certain it was difficult for the Queen, Charles and the rest of the family to have Harry go and I am just as certain they are very, very proud of him.

That the news leaked and he has probably already been sent home, is a crying shame and an outrage. I wonder if it would be illegal for me to send a case of rotten eggs to Drudge, as it appears he is nothing more than a rotten egg himelf! I am with SkyDragon, knowing what it truly means to be incandescent with rage! I probably lit up my entire neighborhood once I heard of the leak and by whom it was leaked. "Livid" seems too mild a word to describe my feelings.

I can only pray for Harry's safety and the safety of all others currently serving their coountries with pride, dignity and honor in Afghanistan and Iraq.

There is so much racing around inside me, thoughts, feelings, emotions, I hardly know what to say or at whom I can rage.

Cat
I totally agree with you about the leak. When I received my CNN Headlines news update today, I immediately emailed them about broadcasting this information. As the wife of a soldier (he's been in for 21 years!), I can not believe the irresponsibility of the media. They have not only endangered Prince Harry's life but the lives of the soldiers in his unit (along with soldiers in the immediate vicinity). These soldiers have it rough enough, now that every terrorist in the world knows that there is a member of the royal family out there, who knows what these people will do, just so that they can further their cause.
 
BBC has gone into overdrive here with the story....CNN is still talking about the presidential debate waiting to see when they'll report on it. The media should be ahsamed of themselves....ugh...but I respect Harry so much for this well done.....I feel no matter what the outcome is he'll come back a different person or atleast that's what I hope. But I do have to say a part of me wants him to stay he sounds so happy being there from what I've seen but another part of me is scared and wants him to return to the UK.....I just hope w/e the decision they make it's the right one
 
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