CNN: Queen at Harry's army graduation: Prince could be deployed to Iraq...

[DeepModem Mom]

or Afghanistan

Queen at Harry's army graduation
Prince could be deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan
Wednesday, April 12, 2006

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Prince Harry, the third in line to the British throne, has graduated as an officer in the British army, a job that qualifies him for a possible combat role in Iraq or Afghanistan....

***

Harry began his military training last May to become an army officer in the Blues and Royals regiment of the Household Cavalry, one of the British army's oldest units.

After qualifying as a 2nd Lieutenant, he will be eligible for military service in Iraq or Afghanistan and has spoken of his determination to head to the front lines if called.

In an interview to mark his 21st birthday, he said: "The last thing I said was there's no way I'm going to put myself through Sandhurst and then sit back home while my boys are out fighting for their country."

His regiment is deploying units later this year to southern Afghanistan, where Taliban rebels still pose a security threat....

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/04/12/uk.harry/index.html

[LostinVA]

1. Young men and their false ideas of the glory of war.... BUT

Good on him for emulating his Uncle Andrew, and refusing to step aside when his countrymen and women do what they are sent to do. Unlike some people back home (Barbara? Jenna?). Kudos to the Windsors for at least serving their copunbtru... even the Queen herself.

[Glorfindel]

6. Hear, hear...there are worse things than devotion to duty

I hope the Prince is posted to Afghanistan, which is at least a justified war, and not Iraq. By the way, what's "copunbtru"? :hi:

[Divernan]

2. Unfortunately, he would certainly be a prime target

More from the article:


Harry, who will serve as a troop commander in an armored reconnaissance unit, is unlikely to be sent to a combat zone immediately, but it remains a possibility -- his uncle, the Duke of York, saw active service flying helicopters in the Falklands War.

This prospect has raised serious questions over the safety of the prince and those serving alongside him amid fears he could become a target for terrorists.

[BikeWriter]

4. I wouldn't want to be in his regiment. You'd all be targets...

Their officers will keep him involved in something obscure. He can be applauded for making the effort, though.

[SoftUnderbelly]

3. .

gawd bless the queen *doffs cap*

brings a tear to your eye

rule britannia!

and the rest of that shite.

this was live on sky news earlier, you would think he is the only young man in the country who is now going to risk his life in the big iraqi adventure...

[Binka]

5. I Saw That Garbage Too

Great name & welcome to DU! I am an expat American living in Sicily. I'm usually alone on the board at this hour!

[adriennui]

11. don't complain.

you're living in sicily.

[Divernan]

10. Well, we'd trade you the layabout Bush twins for Prince Harry anyday!

nt

[Blue_Tires]

28. welcome to the site!

[jukes]

7. REMF!

bet he'll have an EXTREMELY dangerous post!

[SoftUnderbelly]

8. its the poor bastards...

who will have to babysit him that i feel sorry for. as if they dont have enough to worry about already, now they have to look after the best target in iraq. remember, this kid isnt the brightest bulb in the box: centuries of inbreeding have lowered his iq significantly and remember this is the same person who needed his teachers to do his art coursework for him otherwise he would have failed (if he had failed, he wouldn't have gotten into sandhurst)

[Stella_Artois]

14. That never happened

It was mentioned in a employment tribunal, it was proved false.

Sorry.

[jukes]

15. true

but they can steal very good liquor, + score on his reject-babes!

[Boomer]

20. Possible inbreeding

I wouldn't bet heavily on his being a Windsor by blood rather than birth. Young Harry is the spittin' image of one of his mother's lovers, poor little sod. It's no wonder he's a psychological mess.

[cmkramer]

35. not really

A lot of people point to the red hair as proof he can't be a Windsor. But red hair (I believe it's referred to as "ginger" over there) runs in the Spencer family. Lord Spencer and Diana's older sister Lady Sarah both have it. I'm not positive if Lady Jane her other sister does.

[Boomer]

38. I wasn't even thinking of the hair

I've seen photos of one of Diana's lovers (can't remember which one) and Harry had his same coloring AND a strong resemblance based on the bone and muscle structure of his face.

[cmkramer]

41. No he doesn't

You're thinking of Captain Hewitt, by the way.

[Boomer]

43. If you say so.

Can't say that I'm much invested in the issue.

[cmkramer]

44. I'm not either really

but the whole "Is Harry really Charles' son?" is a gossip staple and really if you look at the Spencers, you can see that his coloring has more to do with them than with the notion that Charles isn't his dad.

[WhiteTara]

22. didn't he wear a nazi uniform

to a party? The does indicate low wattage brain waves.

[MadisonProgressive]

9. That red hair would make him easily identifiable

[bitchkitty]

12. England must not have a National Guard. n/t

[Tellurian]

13. Harry is worth more alive then not-

Prime target for terrorist kidnappers.

I doubt they will allow him to be anywhere near the front lines.

[jukes]

16. ARISTOCRAT!!

not worth a flying fudge flavored fuck to me.


but you're right, he'll have a suite at the best Green Zone Hotel or Hussein palace, y beaucoup body-guards!

[marylanddem]

17. Oh yes, the brave Prince will be in danger....

when hell freezes over

[Tellurian]

19. anyone having something worthwhile to lose

is in danger.

Apparently, you're having a hard time relating..

[TheLeftyMom]

18. You have to give him as much credit as the other cadets/officers

It's true that he'll get extra protection, but you have to give him credit for getting through that tough program and being willing to do more than a desk job. He doesn't have to go into harms way. And he entered Sandhurst after these two wars started, he knew what he was getting into. I bet he does now.

He's a playboy and a lot of his family (on his dad's side especially) are fwits, but I do give him credit for getting it together.

I somehow don't see Jenna and Barbara doing something similar. Or hell, even volunteering or going into the Peace Corp.

And yeah, that Spencer hair and complexion would be a dead giveaway on the battlefield!

[leesa]

21. Good. Neither the Queen nor the Prince did a thing to stop Britain's

terrorism in Iraq. I hope he is deployed there.

[Tellurian]

23. What goes around, comes around..n/t

[LostinVA]

25. The Queen and Prince Philip CAN'T legally do anything

You need to complain about Blair. They have been semi-private rumbles about it, however.

Prince Philip fought bravely in WWII, and the Queen herself served. I have no bones to pick with them about this particular thing. Other things, yes. Not this. Most Windsors, royal asses that they can be, have usually held devotion to country and duty to their country high.

[DoYouEverWonder]

33. Notice that the Queen has been virtually silent about the war?

No stirring speeches. No visits to her troops. Nothing.

Very strange.

[cmkramer]

36. That's easy

Officially, she's required to support whatever the government does. And traditionally the Monarch has never commented on political matters. Privately, of course, is a different matter. For instance, it's been said that The Queen did not approve of then-Prime Minister Thatcher's South Africa policies.

[DoYouEverWonder]

37. Sending your country to war is not just a political matter

I've seen videos of her when she was still a young girl and had just become the Queen of England. She gave some wonderful speeches and played a vital leadership role. This time around nothing.

[cmkramer]

40. Once again

She's required by law to support what the government does. She isn't allowed to express a contrary opinion in public.

Privately, who knows?

[cyr330]

24. No reason he shouldn't go

The other poor souls in the British Army got sent despite the almost unanimous resistance the Brits had to the whole pack of lies in the first place. There's no reason poor Harry shouldn't go too, except, oh. . . . He's royalty. . . his shit doesn't stink. Let's not forget his entire family's sense of entitlement.

[LostinVA]

26. VERY much not true -- did you read the article?

He states he wants to go. Prince Andrew fought in the Falklands. The Queen and Prince Philip served during WWII. Prince Charles served in the Navy. For all their faults, they have never shirked their duty in the armed forces.

I am not a monarchist, and I disagree with how the British monarchy is "run," but I will give credit where credit is due. Bush and BLair could learn a thing or two.

[cyr330]

27. What's very much not true?

That the royal family thinks its shit doesn't stink? That the royal family doesn't have a sense of entitlement? Those things are, I'm sorry to say, too true.

[FredScuttle]

29. All true...

but how does a deployment to (possibly) Iraq fit your characterization of the royals as "entitled"? They may be many things, but they are have a brickload more sense of duty and honor than the Bush junta.

[cyr330]

30. Well

It would certainly be one of the few times that they've actually given something to their country other than their precious time which they generally use cutting ribbons at mall openings and other such valuable things--not that the current situation in Iraq merits one's time or one's life.

[FredScuttle]

32. One of the "few" times they've given something to their country?

Brush up on your history, my friend....during WWII, the Royal Family chose to stay in Britain during the Nazi shelling rather than hightail it out of there. Britons still weep at the memory of this stand and the courage it inspired in England's darkest hours.

[Tellurian]

31. Precisely, Fred..

Thanx for putting a keen perspective on the head of a pin
for the bitchers and moaners who have little to do but complain
about something that has nothing to do with our country.

"US like Nazis: British Iraq refusnik

A British Air Force doctor on trial for refusing to go to Iraq because he thought the war was illegal said on Wednesday he believed the United States was the moral equivalent of Nazi Germany.

Australian-born Flight Lieutenant Malcolm Kendall-Smith could face an unlimited jail sentence for disobeying an order to go to Iraq last year and four orders to prepare for his deployment, in the first British case of its kind.

"As early as 2004 I regarded the United States to be on a par with Nazi Germany as regards its activities in the Gulf," he told the court.

Prosecutor David Perry asked: "Are you saying the U.S. is the moral equivalent of the Third Reich?" to which Kendall-Smith replied "That's correct."


http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=dom...

on edit: (The link has been scrubbed)

(What would Julius Rueters say about that if he were alive today?)

[ShortnFiery]

34. I know he screwed up, like Royally? LOL

With wearing that costume but want to believe it was an "out of touch" :wtf: were you thinking! kind of isolation, not malice, that gave Harry that insane notion.

I'm not into this whole Royal Family gig, but out of all of um', Harry's my favorite because he *quite obviously* doesn't really fit in with the prim demeanor of the other Royals? Kind of like his Mom, Harry perseveres, with at time, duress. For that one foible - that he's not ashamed to reveal how uncomfortable he feels being "second son," I can't help but like the kid. :-)

http://network.news.com.au/image/0,10114,5019904,00.jpg

[demo dutch]

39. Yeah right, that will never happen!

[stepnw1f]

42. "Just Place That Royal Mannequin Over There!" (nt)