Prince Harry could be deployed in Afghanistan

UK: Britain’s Prince Harry, who was last week stopped from joining his regiment’s deployment to Iraq, could be sent to join troops in Afghanistan, a newspaper said Sunday.

News of the World said it had information about plans for the 22-year-old officer, third-in-line to the throne, to join the fight against the Taliban, but was withholding key details.

Harry is a second lieutenant in the elite Blues and Royals regiment of the British Army’s Household Cavalry, responsible for 11 soldiers and four Scmitar reconnaissance vehicles.

Army chief General Sir Richard Dannatt blocked him from being sent to southern Iraq, due to threats against his life that would put his men in “unacceptable” danger.

News of the World said that insurgents planned to hit both British camps in southern Iraq with chlorine bombs — which kill victims by burning their lungs — to be certain of getting the prince.

Harry, known as Cornet Wales in the Army, is set to be posted to Afghanistan before 2008 and could be seconded to join a NATO command unit, Britain’s biggest-selling newspaper said.

He would carry out low-risk operations and earn a campaign medal after serving for 30 days, said the weekly.

NATO troops are spread out across Afghanistan and therefore Harry could serve at any one of a large number of locations across the strife-torn country.

“He will probably serve as a very junior watchkeeper, possibly working through the night,” a senior army source told the tabloid.

“He would be totally out of the way but it is an important operational role.” Meanwhile, The Observer newspaper said revelations about Harry’s deployment in a war zone will be censored if the government agrees to a proposal that would ban media from reporting on such aspects of his military career.

London, Sunday, AFP