Prince Harry's Deployment In Iraq May be Cancelled ...

homah_7ft

Manic Moran wrote:

I don't think there's any strategic thinking about Harry going to the war zone beyond his desire to do his job, as expected of a future royal Colonel-in-Chief of various regiments. It's more an issue of 'if this is going to happen, how can we best take advantage of it'?'

NTM

I agree with you that there wasn't any strategic thinking behind this issue. I'm sure the commanders see it as a headache more than anything.

InFront

How can so much attention be focused on one completely irrelevant soldier who isn't even dead yet. Somebody should write a book on symbolism and iconography in wars, I'd love to read it. It's bizarre.

Thrill

I think that the MoD are worried about the possibility that the British death
toll will rise dramatically as every militant in Iraq will target British troops
like never before, in an attempt to get Prince Harry.

Right now the death toll among British troops has been small compared to
the U.S. army. American troops are the main target of choice for the
militants.

Prince Harry's presence could change that as British troops come under far
more intense fire as the insurgents hope that eventually they get
lucky and bag themselves a royal.

If you had a loved one serving in Iraq would you want Prince Harry going
there and your son or daughter is put in even greater danger just so some
royal kid gets to do his duty?

Prince Harry shouldn't just be thinking about himself or just the men under
his command. He should be thinking about the possibility that his being in
Iraq could put all British troops in greater danger.

Sand

The US killed any north korean they could find just incase they colaborated with the VC or the NVA!!!. Its all gravy when the west, (and i dont just mean the US/UK), does it but when the tactic is used on us we start whinging.

Care to share any more insights you might have? I for one never realised the North Vietnamese Army or the Viet Cong were North Korean.


As for Harry - he apparently wants to serve, so he should be let serve.

Manic Moran

He didn't say they were.

I'm sure there were probably a few North Koreans bouncing around in Vietnam. There were certainly a bunch of South Koreans.

NTM

Frederico

Yeah but come on, the whole 'soldiers dying in Iraq' is getting boring.. I mean a week or two ago some good-looking girl soldiers died, the media liked that, this is just upping the ante.. Sky News are salivating at the thought of it.. celebs in Iraq.

nacho libre

I suspect he will complete his tour without sustaining any injuries or being kidnaped. A high number of SAS troops will be shadowing him and doing reconaissance on any route he takes. I doubt he'll even go on patrol as they'll probably find some way to confine him to a heavily-fortified base.

LostinBlanch

Manic Moran wrote:

He didn't say they were.

I'm sure there were probably a few North Koreans bouncing around in Vietnam. There were certainly a bunch of South Koreans.

NTM

True, but they went out and out Charlied Charlie if you know what I mean. Apparently, Vietcong, NVA activity decreased in their areas while they were there.

LostinBlanch

nacho libre wrote:

I suspect he will complete his tour without sustaining any injuries or being kidnaped. A high number of SAS troops will be shadowing him and doing reconaissance on any route he takes. I doubt he'll even go on patrol as they'll probably find some way to confine him to a heavily-fortified base.

You're right, heavily protected even if he doesn't know the details. After all they won't want to give a huge propaganda victory to the insurgents (whoever they are).

Imagine if he'd been one of the 15 hostages taken by the Iranians*? Can you imagine the propaganda (on both sides) that that would have brought!

*Yes I know hes not in the navy or marines, but for the purposes of this argument, imagine it.

FTA69

thrill wrote:

the possibility that his being in
Iraq could put all British troops in greater danger.

Hopefully that'll be the case, if the pampered little snot wants to go to a warzone by all means he should be let go, perhaps then he might realise war is not all about Sandhurst parades and bugles. The British Army have no right to be in Iraq or any other country for that matter, and I've no sympathy for any borstal boy or colonel blimp who might meet his/her end there.

Fratton Fred

FTA69 wrote:

Hopefully that'll be the case, if the pampered little snot wants to go to a warzone by all means he should be let go, perhaps then he might realise war is not all about Sandhurst parades and bugles. The British Army have no right to be in Iraq or any other country for that matter, and I've no sympathy for any borstal boy or colonel blimp who might meet his/her end there.

Nice :rolleyes:

Zambia

FTA69 wrote:

Hopefully that'll be the case, if the pampered little snot wants to go to a warzone by all means he should be let go, perhaps then he might realise war is not all about Sandhurst parades and bugles. The British Army have no right to be in Iraq or any other country for that matter, and I've no sympathy for any borstal boy or colonel blimp who might meet his/her end there.

I think your living a lot further back in the past than Harry.

SeanW

Zambia232 wrote:

I think your living a lot further back in the past than Harry.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

robinph

Manic Moran wrote:

I don't think there's any strategic thinking about Harry going to the war zone beyond his desire to do his job, as expected of a future royal Colonel-in-Chief of various regiments. It's more an issue of 'if this is going to happen, how can we best take advantage of it'?'

NTM

He is not a future commander in chief though, hes just the spare one incase his brother impales himself on a pencil whilst doing his stints with each of the services.

Zambia

UK Papers are thinking he may be diverted to Ulster to assist in the drumcree Marches.

Sort of a dangerous but not dangerous to all the units around him.

Plus imagine rioting in support of the United kingdom against an actual prince ?

Manic Moran

I said 'Colonel-in-Chief', not 'Commander-in-Chief.' There's a difference. Anyone can be a Colonel-in-Chief, for example, the Colonel-in-Chief of the TA unit I went on exchange with is Prince Edward.



It's a titular, not a command position.

NTM

robinph

Manic Moran wrote:

I said 'Colonel-in-Chief', not 'Commander-in-Chief.' There's a difference. Anyone can be a Colonel-in-Chief, for example, the Colonel-in-Chief of the TA unit I went on exchange with is Prince Edward.

It's a titular, not a command position.

NTM

I didn't for a moment think it was an actual command position you were on about, just the top job, and he only gets that position if his brother is shooting blanks.

Andrew was the only one of the royals in years to have done any proper role in the armed services before Harry though, but they are the expendable members of the family. Charles and William just had to do a couple of months in each of the services though for show purposes and be kept away from the even the slightest hint of a live round coming anywhere near them.

Manic Moran

Andrew was the only one of the royals in years to have done any proper role in the armed services before Harry though

FWIW, Charles commanded HMS Bronington for the better part of a year. His total Active Duty Navy time was some five years, his career progression seems on par with what one would expect in terms of speed, though he did have more variety on offer (Not many officers go from doing a tour of duty as a helicopter pilot to command of a minehunter). RAF time was just 6 months, long enough to get his wings.

NTM

DublinWriter

Zambia232 wrote:

However in hindsight they should have made him a chopper pilot or something.

Like Andrew Windsor? That guy had some balls on him piloting that helicopter and med-evacing those guys off that burning ship during the Falklands War.

Then again, great propaganda coup.

I'm no fan of the British monarchy, but they aren't molly-coddled and brought up to be fairly though going through the English public school system then the military.

robinph

Manic Moran wrote:

FWIW, Charles commanded HMS Bronington for the better part of a year.

Not sure that driving a minehunter around the British Isles could be considered that dangerous though.

Edit: Apparently that ship was a wooden hulled one.

Manic Moran

Edit: Apparently that ship was a wooden hulled one.

Most minehunters are. Or were, I guess, today they tend to use fibreglass/GRP. When floating around trying to clear mines which usually are detonated by the magnetic field variance caused by metal, you want to be on a ship with as little metal on it as possible.

NTM

Zambia

DublinWriter wrote:

Like Andrew Windsor? That guy had some balls on him piloting that helicopter and med-evacing those guys off that burning ship during the Falklands War.

Just saying if he was not on the ground it would not be as easy for him to run over an IED and end up all over his tank along with his crew.

But the MOD renewed there decision to send him today , I hope the briish press have the sense to stop reporting on this.

Judt

They're in a "hope for the best" mode.

Boggles

Hang on isn't he Ginger? Who cares what happens him? )

FTA69

Zambia232 wrote:

I think your living a lot further back in the past than Harry.

Apologies if I'm not full of concern for a foreign aristocrat on his way to participate in an illegal war.

Zambia

FTA69 wrote:

Apologies if I'm not full of concern for a foreign aristocrat on his way to participate in an illegal war.

Apology accepted

Manic Moran

Apparently British troops in the sandbox have taken to wearing T-Shirts saying "I'm Harry"

Seems they're taking their impending doom with good spirits.

NTM

Zambia

Manic Moran wrote:

Apparently British troops in the sandbox have taken to wearing T-Shirts saying "I'm Harry"

Seems they're taking their impending doom with good spirits.

NTM

British Army humour , word I got it was more a spartacus thing

"Im Spartacus"
"Im Spartacus"
"Im Sparactus and so's my wife"

You can buy on online for £20.00 all proceeds to charity

FTA69

FTA69 wrote:

Hopefully that'll be the case, if the pampered little snot wants to go to a warzone by all means he should be let go, perhaps then he might realise war is not all about Sandhurst parades and bugles. The British Army have no right to be in Iraq or any other country for that matter, and I've no sympathy for any borstal boy or colonel blimp who might meet his/her end there.

Sorry, were you born a dumbass or did you have to work at it?! Please, do tell of your vast amount of knowledge regarding Sandhurst and the quality of Officers it produces. You are ware that over 80% of the Officers it produces are from middle class families. The days of the landed gentry Officers riding around on horseback are far gone! All politics aside, Harry is still a human being of our nations closest partner. Anyone who wishes him harm is as bad as the person who is causing it!

Zambia, could you give me a link?! Cheers!

InFront

And what about those who he or his colleagues harm? Do you take a collective responsibility for that and think yourself just as bad?

The whole episode about this guy is a sort of gross perversion of the serious gravity of war.
Throw away your Robert Graves and Siegfried Sassoon, real war is now Prince Harry looking back at gossiping royal watchers from the centre-fold of HELLO magazine at the hairdressers.

War never had much dignity, but this is like something from the eighteenth century. It's not supposed to be a carnival.