Not wild about Harry coming home (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Not wild about Harry coming home

3:15pm Monday 3rd March 2008 in News By Jim Greenhalf , T&A Reporter

Bringing back Prince Harry from Afghanistan was a mistake. Once the media made a song-a-dance out of his whereabouts military chiefs should simply have moved him to another area and allowed him to complete his four-month tour of duty.

Judging by his comments to the media the young soldier-prince did not want to return to the safety of Blighty. Evidently he doesn't like England much but, unlike most of the political class in Westminster, at least he is willing to fight for his country. How confidently could you say that about either the Cabinet or the Shadow Cabinet?

Britain's armed forces is one of the few outlets by which the royal family can demonstrably serve their country and be seen by the public to share the life and death risks of other men and women.

Those who emotionally claim that Prince Harry's presence only endangers the lives of other front line troops are talking rot. The lives of British combat soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq are in greater danger from some of the dicky equipment supplied by the Ministry of Defence than they are from Taliban or Al Qa'ida insurgents.

Friendly fire by United States forces has been another occasional hazard.

As for asking Muslims in this country how they felt about it, as one TV company did, why was that done? Should the Prince have sent a round-robin letter to Britain's 500 mosques asking permission to do his duty to Queen and country?

His desire to serve and share should be commended. The unseemly hurry to whisk him home once the hounds of hell had found out merely makes the Ministry of Defence look weak and feeble.

And if Prince Harry had been kiiled or wounded? That was his choice as a serving soldier - unlike every other serving soldier who does not have VIP status.