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.