Prince Harry goes to war · 2007-05-01 15:09
Prince Harry, third in line to the throne of England, will go to Iraq with his regiment, the Blues and Royals, for a six-month deployment.
Gen. Sir Richard Dannatt, commander of the British army, announced the decision yesterday.
Word of Harry’s assignment came in the wake of published reports that the military might keep the 22-year-old prince, a tank commander and second lieutenant, at home.
Iraqi insurgents had threatened to kill or kidnap the prince, and his presence could spark more attacks on British troops, according to newspaper reports.
“The decision has been taken by myself that he will deploy in due course,” Dannatt said. “I would urge that the somewhat frenzied media activity surrounding this particular story should cease in the interests of the overall security of all our people deployed in Iraq.”
Prince Harry is the younger son of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana. Harry would be the first royal to serve in a war zone since his uncle, Prince Andrew, piloted a helicopter in the 1982 Falklands war.
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