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wild1
26-Apr-07, 17:38
I'm just wondering what all you orgers think about harry wanting to go to war in Iraq but it says he might not be able to because of fear of secrurity reasons and what would happen if he got kidnapped. I think that he should go if he wants to go and fight for his country and good on him for wanting to go and not get any special treatment just because he is a member of the royal family. It says if he dosen't get to go then he might quit the army.

Solus
26-Apr-07, 17:51
Why not ? he joined the same armed service as other lads of his age !

Agreed it becomes a very political hot potato should he get captured, injured or killed ! but .... the fact is he is a soldier the same as any other lad out there, if he did not want to be there i am sure he would not have chosen this career path !

Respect to him, i am not a royalist really, but if he wants to go and do his bit, then fine. ( Although i do hold my own views on the conflict over there )

Angela
26-Apr-07, 17:52
I just wonder why this hasn't been thought through sooner? :confused It was always obvious that if he went to Iraq, there would be huge potential problems for all concerned.

I don't doubt his courage or commitment, or his desire not to receive special treatment. But can you imagine the consequences if he was killed or captured?

I don't believe that his being third in line to the throne should make his life any more precious than any other soldier's, but that's not how it would be seen.

I believe his presence in Iraq would make life even more difficult for other soldiers and would put their lives in greater danger.

I'd hope he'd be mature enough to see it that way - and to obey whatever orders he's given.

Solus
26-Apr-07, 17:56
Thats true Jim, never thought of it from that angle, yes it puts them in a greater danger !

webmannie
26-Apr-07, 18:43
There is an online Petition on this very issue on the No10 Downing Street website

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/bulletmagnet/

details are

"The government should intervene and ensure Prince Harry is not deployed to a war zone. The soldiers lives are at risk enough as it is without adding him to the equation"

MadPict
26-Apr-07, 18:57
Hmm, every British soldier in Iraq is a "bullet magnet" irrespective of the presence of some blue blood.

If you thought 15 sailors paraded on TV by the Iranians was embarrassing wait until some insurgent group gets hold of a member of the Royal Family!!
I shudder to think what they might do...

While I admire his desire to serve I have to question the wisdom of sending him into to such a theatre....

brandy
26-Apr-07, 19:14
i wonder if prince andrew faced the same thing when he went to the fauklands?
i remember a time in history when our leaders actually led us is times of battle. when a leader would never ask of his men what he was not willing to do himself.
i applaud harry for wanting to be man enough to put his life on the line.
just because hes rich and famous dosent mean he shouldnt go to war.
his blood runs red just like every other man and woman there. i can guarantee that his blood wont run blue if hes shot.
maybe its the american in me, but the royals are no better than anyone else in this country, and if it wasnt for the common people they wouldnt have a leg to stand on.. i mean really whats the point of being queen/king if youve no kingdom to rule?

golach
26-Apr-07, 19:19
A few hundred years ago, our Royals earned their spurs and crowns by leading their Armys into battle. What about our own Robert the Bruce?
So why not Harry, his uncle was a target for the Argies, and survived and he was acting as a decoy in his helicopter for the Exocets being fired at our lads.

webmannie
26-Apr-07, 19:27
I agree that his blood is the same as any other man/womans. The fact is that he is who he is and some insurgent will earn allah's thanks (and no doubt a big pot of dosh) if they get him. That will increase the risk for all others as they won't discriminate, it'll be open season in the hope that they strike lucky.

Why increase the risk to all, if he cares for his 'men' he should stop being selfish

MadPict
26-Apr-07, 19:52
The Falklands was a battle ground but at least the Argentinians didn't behead their cpatives.The Marines and FIDF who were captured when the Argies invaded were not executed for being infidels. We treated the Argentinian wounded with respect and the captured in accordance with the Geneva Convention.

The Muslim extremists are a completely new type of enemy who are not bound by any of the Geneva Conventions. They will abuse, humiliate and execute anyone they think will bring more to their cause.

Harry will have a big target pinned to his back. For the sake of the other troops out there he should not go...

North Rhins
26-Apr-07, 21:26
There’s an old saying in the forces,‘If you can’t stand a joke you shouldn’t have joined.’

Seabird
26-Apr-07, 22:07
I agree with Madpict, he should not be allowed to go and should be treated like any soldier that has been targeted.
It was common practice in the NI conflict to remove soldiers that had been targeted for killing members of the IRA.
The war he wants to get involved in is not like the Falklands, the Argies did'nt know where Andrew would be so he was difficult to target.
But in Iraq once he arrives they will know his every movement.
The Arabs have proved many times how good they are at con tricks, so ambushing a troop of Armoured cars will be childs play to them.
It would be gross stupidity on the part of the military or on the part of Harry to think he could go there and be treated like any other soldier.
He would be endangering every one in his regiment because they would all be singled out has high priority targets.
There is no doubt that Harry is a brave young man, but he his living in a dream world if he thinks the top brass are going to allow him outside of a secure area, thats if they allow him to go.

_Ju_
26-Apr-07, 22:24
I'm just wondering what all you orgers think about harry wanting to go to war in Iraq but it says he might not be able to because of fear of secrurity reasons and what would happen if he got kidnapped. I think that he should go if he wants to go and fight for his country and good on him for wanting to go and not get any special treatment just because he is a member of the royal family. It says if he dosen't get to go then he might quit the army.

And never mind the people around him that get hurt/killed when his platoon is attacked to get at him because of who he is? In my opinion a true sense of responsibility should exist toward his comrades, and no, he should not go. If he does then there will HAVE to be very special treatment to protect him, that will be paid for by every tax payer and maybe also with a few lives. Besides, his dictating where he is going and what he is going to do is in effect special treatment.

As for comparing the Falklands war with the Iraqui, they are incomparable not only in the battle field, but also in the public opinion arena (I didn't live here during the falklands war, but I am under the impression that the UK backed their troops and the war en-mass).

MadPict
26-Apr-07, 22:36
It's a double edged sword - he joins the military because he wants to 'serve his country' but he's not allowed to go to where he is expected to go as part of that service. So, in the end it's preferential treatment, which of course no-one in the military should get....

_Ju_
26-Apr-07, 22:41
I would prefer the lives of his collegues to be spared. His wanting to go to Iraque (or Afganistan) is in itself preferential treatment ( gets to do what he wants instead of following orders like anyone else in the army) and very selfish.

North Rhins
26-Apr-07, 22:44
Mad Pict, absolutely right.
Ju, I don't think he's getting preferential treatment, his Regiment are being sent to Iraq.

stratman
26-Apr-07, 23:01
If he draws fire he shouldn't go.

Cedric Farthsbottom III
26-Apr-07, 23:33
If he wants to go and fight as a soldier then its his choice.Only his.He'll know himself if its what he wants to do.Royal or not,its the choice he has made.A brave laddie he is.He will be dressed like the rest of the boys around him.He won't have HARRY HRH on his back.I could never be a soldier,he wants to be.

j4bberw0ck
26-Apr-07, 23:50
Or as someone just said very well on "Question Time" on BBC, leave it to the discretion of the military commander on the ground who, knowing what's happening at any one time, is in a far better position to know whether to deploy him - and how to deploy him - than anyone else - including politicians and newspaper editors.

webmannie
27-Apr-07, 07:13
If he wants to go and fight as a soldier then its his choice.Only his.He'll know himself if its what he wants to do.Royal or not,its the choice he has made.A brave laddie he is.He will be dressed like the rest of the boys around him.He won't have HARRY HRH on his back.I could never be a soldier,he wants to be.

I don't disagree, he will however have a nametag Wales on his helmet and uniform, might as well be HARRY HRH.

Tristan
27-Apr-07, 07:27
I have heard two good arguments

1) Harry says he wants to go because it is his duty and the arguement was he has a higher duty as third in line to the throne
2) He has been allowed to join the military and been trained he should go.

Both arguments point out you can't play by halves. If the royals are too big a thread to other troops in battle because they could be targets etc then they shouldn't be allowed in the military at all.
If they are allowed to enter the military then they should "do their duty"
It does not help anyone for them to juist "play" at being a soldier.

Penelope Pitstop
27-Apr-07, 11:19
When I first heard this I though...let him go, he shouldn't be treated any different from all the other lads/lassies out there.....BUT on reflection I thought it would be the wrong thing to do because of his fellow troops. They are at so much risk on a normal day, let alone with a future king amoungst them.

The insurgents (or however you spell it!!!) would do ANYTHING to get him dead or alive....so where would that leave the lads/lassies he was with. I know if it was my kid out there fighting for his/her country I wouldn't want Prince Harry anywhere near them...... I certainly woudn't want to lessen their chances of a safe homecoming for anyone.:confused

But it all shows how bleedin stupid this country is anyway.....why is this debate going on in the media...shouldn't this have been carried out behind closed doors ...if they decide that he would go why the dickens tell EVERYONE what's going on...dumb or what!! I know the insurgent spys wouldn't take long to find out....but why on earth give them a helping hand!!!

jay
27-Apr-07, 16:19
let him go but stop the media from reporting on his every move! it's the media who are putting half the guys in the fireing line by costantly broadcasting what our troops are doing - ban them!!!!!!!

quirbal
27-Apr-07, 20:44
Imitial thoughts were that he signed up so he should go, but on reflection he should be kept out of Iraq.

Sending him is only going to increase the number of attacks on british forces as the insurgents try to kill/capture him. That is unacceptable.

If his regiment were being posted to a conventional warzone then he should be with them.