prince harry in afghanistan

terrier98045

did anyone see the story about prince harry in afghanistan? incredible that the media agreed not too break the news until today, although I have to say well done to them

MoominPapa

Thankfully the f*cker didn't get shot or we'd never hear the end of it

This from the bbc

Describing how he was enjoying his experience, Harry said: "I haven't really had a shower for four days, I haven't washed my clothes for a week. It's very nice to be sort of a normal person for once, I think its about as normal as I'm going to get."

Ah, royalty. They're like us really, just cleaner

flogen

I actually feel quite sorry for him, a feeling I rarely reserve for royalty.

The fact that he needed to go to the front lines in a messy and dangerous war zone in order to feel normal is sad to hear - it's particularly ironic that he was robbed of the chance to feel normal by the media too.

FruitLover

terrier98045 wrote: »

incredible that the media agreed not too break the news until today, although I have to say well done to them

I bet the vultures only found out recently, which is why it's only coming to light now.

flogen

FruitLover wrote: »

I bet the vultures only found out recently, which is why it's only coming to light now.

From what I can gather the media knew from day 1 - the mainstream media anyway.

They had fully-fledged packages recorded and ready to go, as we say yesterday... the would have had to have been recorded before the story broke and with the consent of the MoD in the UK.

It was an American blogger, Matt Drudge of the Drudge Report, that broke the story. He basically gets his exclusives by being fed unprintable stories by journalists and it's likely that the same happened here.

shepthedog

Its an extremely strange one alright.. It is going to be a very difficult story to handle for the MOD and the royals.. His insignia on the cap he was wearing "We do bad things to bad people" , wasnt particularly helpful.
Were they trying to prove a point by sending him there? "You see, we have made Afghanistan so secure even the Prince can go there now??"
It could just as easy come back to haunt Britain.

A Dub in Glasgo

I find it all a bit distasteful

Yesterday the Sun had an exclusive on how Harry was personally responsible for bumping off 30 enemy combatants/civilians. It basically glorifies war, mayhem & killings

gurramok

Most of it is propaganda for royalty. I seriously doubt he was on the front line shooting that gun at all killing opponents.
After all, if he got killed, it would of been unforgiveable for the Labour govt as they would of been blamed by the populace for a very long time.
At the same time, it's legitimising their forces fight in Afghanistan.

Humpty_Dumpty

Seriously, can anyone explain this one to me: Harry was withdrawn from Afghanistan as soon as his presence there was made public, the reason given that such publicity would endanger both his and his comrades' lives. Do we take from this that if the 'enemy' in Afghanistan became aware of his presence they would go after him? Presumably?

Okay.

So how come television cameras appeared to follow his every move while he was there?!? Based on their coverage today Sky News appear to have streams of footage of him (film and photographic), including film of him fiddling about with a motorbike in the presence of a group of villagers (were they not concerned one of them might have passed the info on??).

If you were one of the enemy and even if you wouldn't know Prince Harry from Barney the Dinosaur wouldn't you be a little curious about the identity of the British soldier being followed 24/7 by a camera crew?!

Quite the most obvious staged exercise I've ever seen! If it wasn't a set-up/publicity stunt why allow a camera crew shadow him? Why not let him get on with his job, in private? Instead, whisk Harry off to Afghanistan for a few weeks (added bonus: you keep him away from nightclubs and the illegal substances oft found inside them :rolleyes:), wrap him up in cotton wool while he's there, have a friendly film crew follow him around, beam the film back to a swooning British public who think "by 'eck, look at that, one of Charlie's lads risking his life to keep us safe from 'arm".

Do they think the public are stupid? Oh wait....they are.

PS A prediction: this sham will be exposed in a week/month or two, and will end up doing the Royal Family so much damage they'll go in to hiding!

Humpty_Dumpty

gurramok wrote: »

Most of it is propaganda for royalty. I seriously doubt he was on the front line shooting that gun at all killing opponents.
After all, if he got killed, it would of been unforgiveable for the Labour govt as they would of been blamed by the populace for a very long time.
At the same time, it's legitimising their forces fight in Afghanistan.

Spot on.

kerry4sam

was anyone else watching on cnn the scenes where he was firing etc etc...i never saw one inkling or sign of fear or danger from being in battle! 10 weeks great but does anyone think he saw much, if any, action while being there? and if he didnt i dont think his fellow comrades would see what he done as 'normal' as their are people who return and never recover from they have had to do and what they saw

Gekko

Sky One ran a programme on it this evening, so it does seem to be something of a stunt.

Fair play to him for going but I think he or his bro would set a better example to the world by doing voluntary / charity stuff that their mother preferred.

It does somewhat legitimise everything about the military action in the Middle East which the British public is tired of and which seems all but to have been erased from the public consciousness.

robinph

I'm sure a lot of what is seen on the TV now is staged with him in, but he's not infantry so your not going to see him running from house to house shooting people anyway. He would either be in a tank, or what seemed like a new job they gave him of being sat back at the base telling planes where to drop their bombs as that doesn't sound like a normal tank commander role. There is loads of media out there though following the regular soldiers about day-to-day so I'm sure it wasn't unusual for the locals to see a couple of guys in blue with cameras following different people about, and most of what we've seen was probably all shot on the same day anyway.

deisemum

Max Clifford claims it's all a big PR stunt as harry was getting a lot of flak in the medai because of his antics so next thing he's sent to Afghanistan and is protected until it's time to come back as a brave lad

Humpty_Dumpty

robinph wrote: »

he's not infantry so your not going to see him running from house to house shooting people anyway. He would either be in a tank, or.....

I don't know one part of the army from the other, but why did he talk about covering up his face when he was out on patrol and why did they show him patrolling down the road (ie on foot) with his buddies, rifle pointing menacingly at his feet.

robinph wrote: »

There is loads of media out there though following the regular soldiers about day-to-day so I'm sure it wasn't unusual for the locals to see a couple of guys in blue with cameras following different people about.....

True, but not many of them are dead ringers for James Hewitt.

And if they wanted to keep his presence there secret why allow a film crew follow him around? Much as it pains me, I'm with Max Clifford on this one.

John_C

Humpty_Dumpty wrote: »

And if they wanted to keep his presence there secret why allow a film crew follow him around?

I presume that the deal was that his presence would be kept a secret in exchange for the interviews and clips. Otherwise the media would have been racing each other to out him.

Charlie

I think he should just be allowed to get on with things and pursue his own carear. Realistically he will never be King, so he should be allowed live a life with what he feels has a purpose to it, rather than living a trapped life of Royal who serves no purpose to his family.

People can say it is a media stunt and all that, but from friends I have in military service, he has gone through a hell of a lot of training (much of it gruelling). I don't buy that its just a media stunt.

People bitch and moan that the establishment is all too quick to vote for war and not send their own, yet people find a way to bitch when it does happen.

It's easy for people to nit pick and dissect in the comfort of their home in front of their computers. At the end of the day, regardless of whether he is on the front line, he has put himself out there, in a war zone where roadside and suicide bombings are frequent, in an uncomfortable and treacherous climate, living a lifestyle which includes rations, few showers, and very early starts. By all means he could have stayed at home and lived off his cushy Royal lineage. He hasn't, he has done the exact opposite of that in fact.

MoominPapa

charlie mchugh wrote: »

living a lifestyle which includes rations, few showers, and very early starts.

Don't forget the inadequate laundry facilities - a real kick in the teeth for the naysayers

Humpty_Dumpty

charlie mchugh wrote: »

People bitch and moan that the establishment is all too quick to vote for war and not send their own, yet people find a way to bitch when it does happen.

But that's the point....how do you know he was sent to war? Do you seriously think he was put in any position of danger? Of course he wasn't. I was in more danger the last 10 weeks dealing with the M50.

estebancambias

No not fair play to him at all. He is a killer. God forbid if someone praise an IRA member!!! Its a joke..that really annoyed me.

What makes this any more heroic than the IRA killing British soldiers, or Iraqi freedom fighters killing an American troop?


It is all the one, it is all murder.

Pathfinder

estebancambias wrote: »

No not fair play to him at all. He is a killer. God forbid if someone praise an IRA member!!! Its a joke..that really annoyed me.

What makes this any more heroic than the IRA killing British soldiers, or Iraqi freedom fighters killing an American troop?


It is all the one, it is all murder.

The IRA was an illegal army with no mandate, just as the terrorists in Iraq are actually fighting for their own sectarian causes, rather then a national cause.

The BA in NI was brought in to stop the ethic cleansing of Catholics, which it did and was thanked with IRA bombs.


The IRA killed over 700 Catholics in NI as well, some defenders.

estebancambias

Are you saying there are no Iraqi civilians fighting against America who's only motive is to halt the opression?


In regards to the Afghan people, how would you feel if lets say if the IRA attacked England tommorow, and British troops were stationed in your town?

The Afghan people have nothing to do with 9/11 or the Taliban..

I don't have any time for the IRA.

cabinteelytom

'Forward Air Controller'; I'd always wondered what one called the cowardly snivelling wee b*****ds who get to choose on whom the 500kg bomb gets dropped-from a safe height, after boring hours of circling ( the trials of modern warfare).
'FACer'- I really should have known.

gerrytack@hotma

charlie mchugh wrote: »

I think he should just be allowed to get on with things and pursue his own carear. Realistically he will never be King, so he should be allowed live a life with what he feels has a purpose to it, rather than living a trapped life of Royal who serves no purpose to his family.

People can say it is a media stunt and all that, but from friends I have in military service, he has gone through a hell of a lot of training (much of it gruelling). I don't buy that its just a media stunt.

People bitch and moan that the establishment is all too quick to vote for war and not send their own, yet people find a way to bitch when it does happen.

It's easy for people to nit pick and dissect in the comfort of their home in front of their computers. At the end of the day, regardless of whether he is on the front line, he has put himself out there, in a war zone where roadside and suicide bombings are frequent, in an uncomfortable and treacherous climate, living a lifestyle which includes rations, few showers, and very early starts. By all means he could have stayed at home and lived off his cushy Royal lineage. He hasn't, he has done the exact opposite of that in fact.

great,so he spends his time telling people in planes where to drop bombs ,in someone else's country,who have done nothing what so ever to him and you want to praise him.its in complete contrast to his mother when she was alive who campaigned all over the world to have mines detonated,i don't think she would be too proud of his choice of career

Humpty_Dumpty

Pathfinder wrote: »

The BA in NI was brought in to stop the ethic cleansing of Catholics, which it did and was thanked with IRA bombs.

The poor BA indeed. Those ungrateful Catholics. Never mind, the BA Knights in Shining Armour got their own back in the end, didn't they? :rolleyes:

flogen

Alright, alright - this thread isn't here to discuss what war was or wasn't fair or when killing someone else is legitimate.

If you want that discussion take it Humanities.

Back on topic.

flogen

CCCP^ post deleted for being off topic.

OPENROAD

Gekko wrote: »

Fair play to him for going but I think he or his bro would set a better example to the world by doing voluntary / charity stuff that their mother preferred.

They do.

lostexpectation

woudln't plenty of irrish people have known about this , there were couple of section edtiors on the marian finucan show the weekend after it was announced and her and them said they didn't know. i doubt it.

Busted Flat.

Harry throws his toys out of the pram, in a rage.

What an insult to the young guys and gals on the front line, have the Royals got no shame at all. How many are maimed and without limbs to give this little $hite a photo shoot. There is none with royal blood.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/01/22/roe-v-wade-turns-40.html

A senior army officer, told The Sunday Telegraph: “When Harry was hauled home from Afghanistan last time, he threw his toys out of the pram and more or less said that if couldn’t return to Helmand, he would leave the Army.

“No one wanted Harry to leave in a huff so, with his approval, a career path was mapped out which would allow him to return to Helmand. A lot of people worked with Harry in helping him get into the Army Air Corps, where he has proved a great success.

“Now he seems to be saying that he only became a pilot so he could return to Afghanistan. He should think a little bit less about himself and perhaps a bit more about those who have helped him. He needs to wise up and accept that he is not a soldier but an Army officer — he is not “one of the boys” and never will be.”