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

[tinkerbell1948]

And I'm ashamed to say one of our tacky women's magazines that comes out weekly broke the story here in Australia, just reinforces to me why I never buy it , hope they get hauled over the coals well and truly for this

 

[ysbel]

As far as I know the Drudge Report is not a traditional or even a well respected newscaster. They are highly political and they have engaged in questionable tactics before. I'm not even sure if they raise revenue to the degree that a traditional newscaster like CNN does.

However, I am amazed that Matt Drudge's readers are interested in what Harry is doing in Afghanistan.

 

[ghost_night554]

Just saw the full interview(had just seen bits and clips before)...it was really good...now I feel even worse(if that's possible) over the leak.

 

[CasiraghiTrio]

Shame on Matt Drudge for leaking this! The media interviews were conditional on being released after his return. Harry now has to worry about safety concerns far above and beyond a normal soldier.

I quite agree. Shame on the Drudge report. I am furious that anyone can be so selfish and thoughtless as to do what must put his security at more risk than that to which it was already exposed. They publish the province in which he is based!
If anyone publishes more about his whereabouts I will be livid.

 

[zembla]

Anderson Cooper is on CNN now and he said the British Government is scrambling to pull him out. To be honest it sounds kind of dangerous...

 

[ysbel]

I think one of the members said that a German paper released the news first. Does anyone know which one it was?

 

[CasiraghiTrio]

Freedom of the press, fine, but freedom comes with the price of responsibility! And it was irresponsible, even reckless (not to mention, selfish and dangerous to Harry & all soldiers in Afghanistan) to publish the photos before the agreed-upon-time of the end of his tour of duty!

 

[zembla]

I think one of the members said that a German paper released the news first. Does anyone know which one it was?

I think it's called Bild

 

[ghost_night554]

Army prepares to evacuate Harry after news blackout fails | UK news | The Guardian

I wonder if it's true. I'm still torn over all this and what may possibly happen next.

 

[ysbel]

I think it's called Bild

Thanks zembia.

 

[Australian]

It was irresponsible of the tabloids, no doubt. They went way too far here and i wonder how they sleep at night. However, Harry knew the possible danger and risks involved with fighting, he and the government/ royal household would have forseen something like this happening, they must have, i dont think it should come as a total shock to Harry or anyone that this has happened. Of course something like this was going to happen and i do think it would have been forseen by the government etc. Assuming Harry knew all this, he still chose to be out there, knowing all the ramifications.

I hope he and the troops stay safe. Kudos to Harry for fighting for his country regardless of the danger he (in particular) faces.

 

[ghost_night554]

What exactly does Prince Harry do though? Cause if he doesn't need to be in battle and just do "behind the scenes" work as I call it maybe he can finish off his duties there if they move him to a different location. Is that possible? Or is there only 2 options to leave him there and risk it or bring him back? Also I read on Daily Mail his nightclub visits will be monitored?! Why..is he really at sucha risk even when comes back? Or did I miss something?

 

[Jo of Palatine]

I think it's called Bild

No, Bild quoted the "Frau im Spiegel"-article. But of course Bild has the much higher circulation, it's the largest and worst tabloid here in Germany.

 

[MARG]

No, Bild quoted the "Frau im Spiegel"-article. But of course Bild has the much higher circulation, it's the largest and worst tabloid here in Germany.

Same sort of thing with Australian "New Idea". It looks like nobody gave the story any credence until the "Drudge" article.

"New Idea" is claiming innocence as "they didn't know it was a secret"!
Yeah right!!! And they have got the finest investigative journalists on the planet so they can "scoop" the real press.

Although, to give them their due, they did publish it in the "Entertainment" section, which gives you an idea of the ethics of the said "Rag".

 

[wbenson]

Cause if he doesn't need to be in battle and just do "behind the scenes" work as I call it maybe he can finish off his duties there if they move him to a different location. Is that possible?

If you mean staying in Afghanistan doing that, it's probably not, as there is no "behind the scenes" there, really.

 

[pinkie40]

Harry's heading home, probably...
FOXNews.com - Report: Prince Harry to Be Removed From Front Lines in Afghanistan - International News | News of the World | Middle East News | Europe News

 

[Elspeth]

This is going to happen wherever he goes in the future if he's really planning to make a career of the army. Sooner or later they're just going to have to either make him give up any idea of active service or put up with the fact that the enemy will know where he is. I mean, we knew he was probably off somewhere when he didn't show up in the night clubs, and there were rumours of Afghanistan a while back, so it was fairly easy to figure it out.

I think he ought to stay over there - as Polly said, the Taliban have almost certainly known for a while that he was there, and this sort of panicking is making the enemy appear much more fearsome than it probably is.

 

[ghost_night554]

If you mean staying in Afghanistan doing that, it's probably not, as there is no "behind the scenes" there, really.

I call it "behind the scenes" work just because of how it appeared on the interview you know the "battlefield air control" as they call it.. If it was anything else..like foot patrol or commanding tanks then there's no way he could continue. Just with the reports we're getting late at night I'm assuming he'll be sent back...and Clarence House will probably release some sort of statement once he's back, owell it was probably a good 2 months for him he tried and it went well until everything was leaked..atleast he got to feel normal for once and do something he always wanted to do. It'd be nice if he stayed on a down low when he reurns and maybe continue with charity work or helping his fellow soldiers in some other way.. I dunno I just like having this type of Harry the involved one , not the one who's out at nightclubs. Does anyone bwt understand what in world Daily Mail means by his nightclub visits will now be with heavy security? Will he be sucha risk when he gets back and if he comes back to the UK?

 

[kpusa1981]

I think he has done three different things which are as follows: JTAC, foot patrols, and recce patrols with Spartan Armored Recce Vehicle.

 

[Jo of Palatine]

Whatever happens now, Harry has gotten his wish - a period of service in which to be as close to being a "normal" soldier serving on an actual warscene.

He must have know that this is as much of "going to war" as he is likely to get at all, even on becoming a career officer. He and the MoD simply can't forget who he was born to be because their enemies won't forget and thus the danger is very real and rather large that he is an automatic target for them.

So that's IMHO the end of Harry's active career as a fighter. Now he has gotten his chance to show the British public that he is as much a "real" soldier than the others, not a RT. Royal Toysoldier. After having made his point, IMHO it would be good for him to accept that due to his personal circumstances his field of service lies firmly in the Uk.

As an aside: I wonder if he will come home changed. He has now seen the reality of this war, he must now understand that he is really a threat to his allied comrades, he probably changed from Di's boy to a personality of his own. Am curious how this will turn out.

 

[hilal]

PRINCE HARRY OF ENGLAND, SOLDIER IN AFGHANISTAN
During ten weeks, the grandson of Queen Elizabeth II fight against taliban and lived in a military base located in the province of Helmand
EL PRÍNCIPE HARRY DE INGLATERRA, SOLDADO EN AFGANISTÁN
From HOLA!

 

[tinkerbell1948]

Same sort of thing with Australian "New Idea". It looks like nobody gave the story any credence until the "Drudge" article.

"New Idea" is claiming innocence as "they didn't know it was a secret"!
Yeah right!!! And they have got the finest investigative journalists on the planet so they can "scoop" the real press.

Although, to give them their due, they did publish it in the "Entertainment" section, which gives you an idea of the ethics of the said "Rag".

Now you know why our nickname for it is "No Idea" What they don't know they simply make up

 

[Skydragon]

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.

The Canadians have been working closely with the UK troops for some time and I will be eternally grateful to 4 young men in particular, for the help and guidance they gave one of our children when he first went out there!

I think he ought to stay over there - as Polly said, the Taliban have almost certainly known for a while that he was there, and this sort of panicking is making the enemy appear much more fearsome than it probably is.

The Taliban may have had their suspitions, but I would imagine when the Australian rag first published the 'news' on Jan 15th and no other paper gave it headline ratings, they doubted the authenticity of the article.

It may be panicking, but anyone with a member of their family out there, will now be fearful of increased attacks. No they are not fearsome, they are cowards who hide behind civilians, but their RPG's, Roadside bombs and suicide bombers, tend to put everyone on edge!

 

[Skydragon]

Prince Harry is to be withdrawn from Afghanistan after news broke of him serving there on the front line, the Ministry of Defence has said

BBC NEWS | UK | Harry withdrawn from Afghanistan

BBC NEWS | The Editors

More recently, on Tuesday, the German newspaper Bild ran a diary story asking "where's Prince Harry?" and speculating that the gossip was that "he'd gone to war". We agreed that while the story was speculative and confined to diary pages, that we would not break the agreement we'd reached with the MoD.
Then yesterday, the Drudge Report - the online US website famous for breaking the story of Bill Clinton's relationship with Monica Lewinsky - put the story on its front page. The game was up. We, and the other broadcasters, agreed with the Ministry of Defence that the story was out and it would be wrong not to tell our audiences what had been going on.

 

[Jo of Palatine]

Prince Harry is to be withdrawn from Afghanistan after news broke of him serving there on the front line, the Ministry of Defence has said

BBC NEWS | UK | Harry withdrawn from Afghanistan

BBC NEWS | The Editors

More recently, on Tuesday, the German newspaper Bild ran a diary story asking "where's Prince Harry?" and speculating that the gossip was that "he'd gone to war". We agreed that while the story was speculative and confined to diary pages, that we would not break the agreement we'd reached with the MoD.
Then yesterday, the Drudge Report - the online US website famous for breaking the story of Bill Clinton's relationship with Monica Lewinsky - put the story on its front page. The game was up. We, and the other broadcasters, agreed with the Ministry of Defence that the story was out and it would be wrong not to tell our audiences what had been going on.

That's what I thought as well: the BIld-article was mere speculation, while the Drudge report actually reported it as fact and named a place in Afghanistan, telling "all", so to say.

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

I'd like to give my two cents regarding this whole Harry issue -

1. Harry decided to join the army some years ago. Everyone knows when joining the army that this might include the possibility of becoming involved in dangerous, maybe life threatening actions. Just the way it is. If this situation is not suitable for the 3rd in line of the throne, he should have been banned from joining the army in the first place.

2. Obviously he was allowed to join the army and therefore everybody, Harry, his family and the MoD etc must have been clear about the consequences. When somebody becomes a soldier, he will be a soldier with all consequences, the worst one being killed in action. There is no such thing as a partly soldier - either you are one or you aren't.

3. Now we all find out that Harry has been where he actually belonged and has been trained for - in action - since December and therefore he is being praised even by PM Gordon Brown as incredibly brave. Wow. Just imagine, a soldier in a warzone! Sorry but this is in insult to everybody who is involved with people who have been serving in warzones for months and years. Everybody who would have noticed that Harry stopped falling out of clubs during the last 10 weeks could imagine that he is somewhere in action anyway - self imposed media ban or not.

4. I find this media-keep-quiet-thing complete rubbish. Harry is a royal, that's a fact as much as a permanent coverage about his lifestyle by the media for the rest of his life - even if he choses to become a soldier. How would that work in the future - stop the coverage every time he will be in action? Sad for Harry but if a career in the army and being a prince finally won't match he has to do something else.

 

[Skydragon]

That's what I thought as well: the BIld-article was mere speculation, while the Drudge report actually reported it as fact and named a place in Afghanistan, telling "all", so to say.

And there is this one as well ....

Sky News - Foreign Matters

The deal held despite a relatively obscure Australian magazine writing a short article on the web.
Then someone whispered in Matt Drudge's ear and the cat was out of the bag.

The blame being laid firmly on Matt Drudge!

 

[TheTruth]

I know what you mean! I thought of the similarity, and I'm not even one who believes that Harry's Hewitt's son!

Yes, it won't be long until the press start gossiping again. But it's true that there's a great likeness. They both weren't brilliant at school and they have the same interest in the army. I won't blame newspapers if they note the similarity.

 

[zembla]

Prince Harry is to be withdrawn from Afghanistan after news broke of him serving there on the front line, the Ministry of Defence has said

BBC NEWS | UK | Harry withdrawn from Afghanistan

BBC NEWS | The Editors

More recently, on Tuesday, the German newspaper Bild ran a diary story asking "where's Prince Harry?" and speculating that the gossip was that "he'd gone to war". We agreed that while the story was speculative and confined to diary pages, that we would not break the agreement we'd reached with the MoD.
Then yesterday, the Drudge Report - the online US website famous for breaking the story of Bill Clinton's relationship with Monica Lewinsky - put the story on its front page. The game was up. We, and the other broadcasters, agreed with the Ministry of Defence that the story was out and it would be wrong not to tell our audiences what had been going on.

Oh please...they were all foaming at the mouth to break this story. I wish they would just own up...i still think they should've even waited to start airing all their footage until he was out of there. No one even knows if he got out yet and the rest of his crew were moved around too for their own safety. This whole thing is real sad to me...

 

[Skydragon]

2. Obviously he was allowed to join the army and therefore everybody, Harry, his family and the MoD etc must have been clear about the consequences. When somebody becomes a soldier, he will be a soldier with all consequences, the worst one being killed in action.

You are wrong there, the worst one is having limbs blown off or losing your independence due to massive injury!

3. Now we all find out that Harry has been where he actually belonged and has been trained for - in action - since December and therefore he is being praised even by PM Gordon Brown as incredibly brave. Wow. Just imagine, a soldier in a warzone! Sorry but this is in insult to everybody who is involved with people who have been serving in warzones for months and years.

Why is it an insult, every member of the forces who serves in a war zone is incredibly brave, it is just that the majority of people couldn't care less about soldier A.