(Prince) Harry Not Going To Iraq, Sky Sources

[sabra]

Source: Sky News

Prince Harry will not be going to Iraq, Sky News sources have revealed.
Sky News Foreign Editor Tim Marshall said the reason for the decision was because "he is a magnet for jihadists".

"Sending him in not only endangers those around him - the effect of being kidnapped would be a blow to the entire UK."

The decision is understood to have been taken by the head of the Army, General Sir Richard Dannatt, in the light of the threats to the prince and his men.



Read more: http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-1266073,00.html

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more:

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L16367313.htm


Britain's Prince Harry won't go to Iraq - ministry

LONDON, May 16 (Reuters) - Britain's Prince Harry will not be sent to serve in Iraq after military commanders decided it would be too dangerous, Britain's Ministry of Defence said on Wednesday.

"I have decided today that Prince Harry will not be deployed to Iraq," General Sir Richard Dannatt told reporters.

Harry, 22, the third in line to the throne and a junior officer in the army, had been due to be deployed to Basra, in southern Iraq, with his Blues and Royals regiment in the coming weeks as part of the latest British troop rotation.

[grytpype]

1. They're finally showing some sense.

Prince Harry wouldn't last two months in Iraq.

[Buzz Clik]

2. Another sign the surge is working.

[anotherdrew]

3. damn, I thought he was already there n/t

[hlthe2b]

4. Common Sense prevails....

I wouldn't put the Bush* twins or any other high value "target" there either--- but I certainly would applaud their providing service, rather than just calling for others to sacrifice.

[erpowers]

5. CNN

CNN is also reporting the story. It seems that they (the British government) have received some direct threats against Prince Harry. I think if he really wanted to go they could have just given him a desk job. I am not trying to say that I think Prince Harry did not really want to go to war. I am saying they could have let him go to Iraq and then just give him a desk job. So, I am talking about the government officials who made the decision.

[rocktivity]

25. Here's hoping that the threats WERE genuine

and not an MI-6 black-op. I'd hate to find out that Harry was willing to go simply because he knew that his not going was a done deal.


rocknation

[Phoonzang]

6. Makes sense.

Not only would every insurgent in the country be gunning for Harry, it would endanger his squad as well. Well..more than they already are.

[Ghost Dog]

14. You mean, not only would they be gunning for his squad, but

they might actually capture the Prince, to boot.

Fuck that for a lark, mate, on top of everyfuckingthing else.

[demoleft]

15. play within the play?

Why does it not surprise me?!

All these papers articles and magazine pages about him going, for months...maybe only a shakespearian "play within the play" to make him more acceptable to the english people? A way not to make him judge bad?

Anyway, all dressed up as a soldier, in action, how many enemies could recognize he's there - or in some office at the base camp...or momentarily in the restroom...I mean: how could his enemies recognize his position? His companions are already a target. No more nor less danger for them...

I don't know. It looks just a make up...

[Ghost Dog]

17. Sure. Later, the spin-doctors and compliant media will explain to us all

exactly how many balls the young man is carrying between his legs.

Like his Grandaddy.

(ed. "i" in the right place in title).

[gaspee]

7. It was a stupid idea

For him to go play war. His reasoning was that he had to go to be with his "boys" (as he called them.) It's about time he was told the reality that if he went he'd be endangering his "boys."

Or it's just a lie and he really is going. Trying to throw of the scent, as it were.

[LeftHander]

8. But McCain said it was like a afternoon in the park...

peaceful, tranquil....safe.

[Honeycombe8]

29. And you can get a rug for $5! n/t

[Spazito]

9. I am glad common sense finally prevailed....

I applaud Prince Harry for wanting to serve with his mates but, because he is who he is, he would endanger them. He is royalty and, regardless of his wishes in this matter, the decision must be based on both his safety and the safety of others.

[burrowowl]

24. You nailed it, it would place his mates

in even greater danger.

[bluestateguy]

10. I wish these damn fools at the MOD would make up their mind

He's going, he's not going, he going, now were not sure, he's not going, errrrg!!!

Make up your fucking mind. No wonder we kicked your asses in the Revolution.

[Ghost Dog]

18. "I've decided the risk to Prince Harry is too great,"

Richard Dannatt, the head of the army, told reporters.

"I've also decided that the risk he brings to his troop and his squadron ... is also too great."

Decision. Command. Good enough for you?

[emilyg]

11. Frankly my dear

I couldn't care less.

[Mend]

12. and now we can say, as we always have, that if it is too dangerous for him,

it is too dangerous for any of our young people. We are all equal.

[Ghost Dog]

13. Yes. Reuters has this:

http://investing.reuters.co.uk/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2007-05-16T185209Z_01_L16367313_RTRUKOC_0_UK-IRAQ-BRITAIN-HARRY.xml&pageNumber=0&imageid=&cap=&sz=13&WTModLoc=NewsArt-C1-ArticlePage3

Prince Harry won't be deployed to Iraq

LONDON (Reuters) - Prince Harry, the third in line to the throne, will not be sent to serve in Iraq after military commanders decided it was too dangerous. The Ministry of Defence said specific threats made by insurgent groups against Harry, including listing him as a kidnap target, had made any deployment far too risky.

"I've decided the risk to Prince Harry is too great," Richard Dannatt, the head of the army, told reporters. "I've also decided that the risk he brings to his troop and his squadron ... is also too great."

The decision underlines just how dangerous Iraq has become in the four years since U.S. and British troops invaded to overthrow Saddam Hussein. More than 3,400 U.S. troops and 148 British soldiers have been killed in Iraq since March 2003.

...

Dannatt said the widespread knowledge about Harry's impending deployment had contributed to his decision. "It is a fact that this close scrutiny has exacerbated the situation and this is something that I wish to avoid in the future," he said.

/... :eyes: (Loose lips sink ships).

[Rosa Luxemburg]

16. Harry's girlfriend will be happy now

[musiclawyer]

19. Did anyone seriously think he would be put in harm's way?

Not me, not for an instant.......

[truthisfreedom]

20. He certainly seemed genuine enough in his efforts to go.

Unless it was an elaborate ruse designed to demonstrate his bravery, I think he really did want to go, to continue the tradition.

The fact is, this is a completely asymmetrical war with an enormous amount of funding provided to the bad guys through kidnapping.

[SayWhatYo]

27. If in Iraq, then you're in harms ways...

There are of course degrees to this, but I don't think there are many places where one would be completely safe.

[Nimrod2005]

21. Fuck Prince Harry, fuck Tony Blair, Fuck whoever thinks this is a just war or it is being fought

for a good cause, I really don't give a fuck what Prince punk does

[kitty1]

22. The Queen put her foot down on this one.....no surprise here

I had a feeling this was going to be the scenario when all was said and done. There was no way they could afford to put Harry in that much danger. Diana's death was devastating enough to deal with, but to have her son die (The Queen's own grandson) would be too much to bearfor the whole nation.
Especially for a groundless war that was instigated by an idiot president for oil and profit.
The fall back on Bush and Blair would be huge. The Queen would never allow one of her own bloodline to die for Bush. This is no Falkland Islands conflict. That was a whole different scenario

[rocktivity]

26. Well, I hope that parents all over the UK put their feet down, too

and not permit their sons to enlist until the occupation ends. They may not be princes, but they're "high value targets," too!

:headbang:
rocknation

[ohio2007]

23. All those practice snatch and grab missions in Iraq got them to

change the announced plans for Harry

btw
there sure is a very close Prince Harry look a like in Afghanistan as shown in this video;
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=560_1179121526

[Javaman]

28. Actually I'm very disappointed that he's not serving...

His deployment would have put a fine point on the war and would have given the world a true look into how completely fucked up it is over there.

Frankly, whether the deal was real or not, I think the idea of having a video crew with him 24/7 would have been a terrible idea. That if anything would have basically painted bullseye on his forehead. Personally, I have a feeling that he had something to say about that and that is what scuttled the deal.

On a more absurd note: imagine if you will, if he had gotten wounded or killed? Britain would have pulled out the very next day and the glaring spot light that this war needs to desperately have shined upon it, would happen.

This has less to do with Harry serving then it does the truth about how truly fucked up this war is.