Army to Consider Prince Harry Afghan Deployment
In light of the emergence on the 28th February of the fact Prince Harry has been serving in Afghanistan since the end of last year, Army chiefs are now to consider whether he should remain there or not.
The Ministry of Defence has not commented on the length of the prince's tour of duty in Afghanistan.
The Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Richard Dannatt, stated he would be given advice on whether he can remain deployed on the Afghan frontline, amid concerns that the Taliban could target him.
Harry has Served in Helmand Since Mid-December
Since mid-December, Prince Harry has been serving in the province of Helmand. His work there has included patrols on foot, and arranging for air support to back forces on the ground.
Before yesterday, Harry's presence in Afghanistan had been subject to a media blackout. However, all that changed when an overseas media firm leaked the news.
According to some critics, the media at large are, therefore, culpable of "colluding with the authorities."
It is believed that the news of Harry's deployment initially appeared in an Australian publication last month. However, it was not until The Drudge Report - a prominent US website - ran the story that the deal crumbled away.
MoD Statement Issued on Harry Deployment
The MoD yesterday issued a statement on the subject of Harry's deployment in Afghanistan, and the fact of the news leak.
In this, Sir Richard described his disappointment "...that foreign websites have decided to run this story without consulting us."
He added: "Now that the story is in the public domain, the chief of defence staff and I will take advice from the operational commanders about whether his deployment can continue."
Prince's Iraq Deployment Plan Canned Amid Threat Concerns
In 2007, the possibility of Prince Harry serving in Iraq came up. However, on the grounds of safety, the notion was dispelled by Sir Richard.
"There have been a number of specific threats, some reported, some not reported, which relate directly to Prince Harry as an individual", General Dannatt stated, in comments quoted by Armed Forces International at the time.
"These threats expose not only him but also those around him to a degree of risk that I now deem unacceptable."
He added, however, that he had not discounted the option of placing the Prince in another theatre of conflict at a future date.
Harry, said the general, possessed "determination and undoubted talent - and I do not say that lightly".
Source - Armed Forces International's Political Correspondent
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