Sorry Harry

I have kept a quiet eye on the Prince Harry serving in Iraq issue, haven’t said anything about it until now, but have finally decided to weigh in on the matter, not that I think anyone from the British MOD will be interested in my opinion. Initially I was ok with it as long as his deployment location and whatever else was kept secret.
Prince Harry is due to travel to Iraq with the Blues and Royals. His position would involve commanding an 11 man reconaissance team with four armoured vehicles. However, an upsurge in violence against British forces has spurred speculation that the situation is too dangerous for the third in line to the throne.

Military planners are worried that the presence of such a high-profile figure on the battlefield would increase the danger to all British forces in the area. In an interview to mark his 21st birthday, he had said : “There’s no way I’m going to put myself through Sandhurst and then sit on my arse back home while my boys are out fighting for their country.”
But since the Iran hostage fiasco, I no longer believe he should be sent to front lines, I understand he wants to go and made it through the training and all that, but sorry Harry. I know some of our UK readers might be offended by this, but they now have a reputation as weaklings, the Iranians demonstrated that they can capture British sailors and parade them around all they wanted and there were no consequences. Doesn’t matter if some mullah somewhere can’t leave Iran or will be denied entry to Harrods from now on, what matters is that the UK is supposed to be a big dog and Iran a noisy poodle. But the poodle kicked the big dogs arse, it may feel like long time ago but enemy does not forget.

Let me illustrate an example that Harry the solider should choose to follow. Ilario Pantano, he’s no prince, the son of an Italian immigrant if I’m not mistaken, from New York. He served in Gulf war I, he was in New York on 9/11, at the time he was no longer part of the Marine corps, he was a civilian, but like the true marine that he is, he was running towards Ground Zero while others were heading the other way. After that he fought tooth and nail to get back into the Marine corps and go to Iraq to serve his country. While he was there he earned a reputation, to put it simply because words escape me, he was a soldier you wanted at your side or covering your back or you charge into hell with, even with a cone of ice cream as your weapon. I can’t remember how long he served but in 2004 he got charged with the premeditated murder of 2 Iraqi civilians, the charges were later dropped.

He was free to return to Iraq and he knew his marines needed him, however he now had a public profile and threats were made against him and his family by a terrorist organization. Pantano then made the difficult decision not to return, for the safety of his fellow marines. He is a true soldier.

So sorry Harry, if you go to Iraq, doesn’t matter where you are deployed, you are still a prince, the enemy sees you as such and there is a high probability they will target your fellow soldiers to get to you. I know it’s tough, perhaps if your politicians had shown a bit more bone density earlier but they didn’t, so better to sit on your arse than have the lives of your soldiers on your conscience.

Let me know your thoughts.

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