[Vision2020] UK's Prince Harry fighting in Afghanistan

[Tom Hansen]

>From CNN at:

http://tinyurl.com/yplqq4

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UK's Prince Harry fighting in Afghanistan

LONDON, England (CNN) -- The UK's Prince Harry is in Afghanistan and has 
seen combat, the UK Ministry of Defense confirmed Thursday.

Prince Harry on patrol in the deserted town of Garmisir, Afghanistan.
http://tinyurl.com/yq3u56

He was deployed 10 weeks ago and his fellow soldiers were sworn to secrecy.

The prince's status is currently being reviewed, the Ministry of Defense 
said.

Harry is third in line to the British throne and serves with the Blues and 
Royals

His main role has been as a member of a group called Joint Tactical Air 
Control, or JTAC.

"As far as I'm concerned I'm out here as a normal JTAC on the ground and 
not as Prince Harry" he said. 

In a recent interview with CNN correspondent Paula Newton, Prince Harry 
said, "At the end of the day I like to sort of be a normal person, and for 
once I think this is about as normal as I'm ever going to get."

And in a pre-deployment interview with the British Press Association, he 
said: "If I'm wanted, if I'm needed, then I will serve my country as I 
signed up to do." 

The head of the British Army, Chief of the General Staff Sir Richard 
Dannatt, said Harry's deployment had been kept secret after striking an 
agreement with the media.

British and international media -- including CNN -- had agreed not to 
report Harry's deployment because of security concerns for him and his 
unit. The military confirmed the operation after a U.S. Web site broke the 
news blackout. 

Dannatt said: "What the last two months have shown is that it is perfectly 
possible for Prince Harry to be employed just the same as other Army 
officers of his rank and experience.

"His conduct on operations in Afghanistan has been exemplary. He has been 
fully involved in operations and has run the same risks as everyone else 
in his Battlegroup.

"In common with all of his generation in the army today, he is a credit to 
the nation.

"In deciding to deploy him to Afghanistan, it was my judgment that with an 
understanding with the media not to broadcast his whereabouts, the risk in 
doing was manageable."

Dannatt added that he and senior commanders will now be reviewing Harry's 
deployment.

Last year, the military ruled Harry could not be sent to Iraq because 
publicity about the deployment could put him and his unit at risk.

State Department Deputy Spokesman Tom Casey was asked about the prince's 
deployment at a press briefing Thursday. "I leave it to the Brits to 
discuss," he responded. 

"We have full confidence that the British government and the British 
military will make appropriate decisions concerning the deployment of the 
prince or any other members of their military." 

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Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho


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