A troop led by a Prince... Prince Harry !

[Shahed]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6385169.stm

Now I thought of posting this for you all.

I think it's great that one of the "royals" gets down to where the action is. It's very good for troop morale, but it's political significance cannot be understated either.

On a more personal note, I wish him and his troop all the best of luck and good fortune.

Salute !

[Fragony]

Oh he got the SAS looking after him, I doubt he will aquire any unnecesary ventilation.

But yes, good from him at least.

[Shahed]

...as expected.

If he does the job he's supposed to do in a recon troop, then he'll be out there doing recon like any other Lieutenant.

[ShadeHonestus]

Good for him...

As long as he's not surrounded by an entire battalion at one foot intervals covering every square inch in a 100 foot radius.

[Stig]

He's with the Household Cavalry, you need to be quite a good terrorist to knock those out.

[Haudegen]

A bit off topic but:

The article refers to his highness as Second Lieutenant Harry Wales.

I always thought the British royal family´s name is Windsor. I was under the impression that Prince of Wales was just a title not a name. Can someone please explain this for me?

[Stig]

Just to keep "anonymous", it's the same like in Holland. Here the royal family uses Van Buren as their last name (when participating in the Elfstedentocht for example ), even tho their first title is Van Oranje-Nassau.

[Ronin]

does any one actually believe this kid will actually see any real action?

he´ll be in a recon patrol all right......he´ll be probably recon'ing some rear-rear-rear-rear-rear line "trouble spot"

[Hosakawa Tito]

Nice avatar, Sinan.

I commend Prince Harry for not using his status to shirk his military duties. Perhaps if more of the warhawk prima donnas had to ante up some of their own flesh and blood, they might be more circumspect in going to war and more sure of doing it right.
Being a veteran myself, it galled me that Shrub,Cheney, and Slick Willie did all they could to dodge real service in Vietnam. Poppy pulled strings to get junior in the Air National Guard to avoid overseas service, now Junior leans heavily on these same National Guard and Reserve units to do the fighting in Iraq. Ironic, no?

[Haudegen]

Just to keep "anonymous", it's the same like in Holland. Here the royal family uses Van Buren as their last name (when participating in the Elfstedentocht for example ), even tho their first title is Van Oranje-Nassau.

I see, thanks.

BTW: Great idea to publish a pseudonym in an article right next to his photo

[Banquo's Ghost]

I'm impressed by the young man's desire and willingness to be with his men.

I must confess to being in two minds though. Tony Blair might think Basra is safe and filled with perfume and roses, but the evidence demonstrates otherwise. HRH's deployment will bring terrorists and their like swarming - which, no matter how well he is protected, will significantly increase the risk to other soldiers in the area.

He''l be doing long range reconnaissance so whilst he may not be in urban areas that much, also increases risk. Given the lethal ability and success of snipers out there (as seen against US forces in Baghdad) he may soon be in serious danger.

Brave lad, but I think the peril he will bring upon his colleagues should be considered. Perhaps it has been, so I wish him luck.

On a side note, it is interesting that Her Majesty will now join those mothers who watch and worry, whereas the politician that sent the troops to that futile deathtrap is still unconcerned.

[Banquo's Ghost]

does any one actually believe this kid will actually see any real action?

he´ll be in a recon patrol all right......he´ll be probably recon'ing some rear-rear-rear-rear-rear line "trouble spot"

Yes, he will see real action. He has insisted on it.

Remember, HRH Prince Andrew flew in the Falklands War on the front line as a helicopter pilot. Once of his tasks was to act as a decoy for any Exocet missiles that came the way of the fleet - real missiles that took out a couple of warships.

The British don't mess about in these things. If he's cleared to go, he's expected in the firing line. It's the expectation of the regiment.

Note that Harry is the "spare" and therefore gets the chance. Charles was barred from anything much more taxing than mine-sweeping, as is William.

[Ronin]

Yes, he will see real action. He has insisted on it.

Remember, HRH Prince Andrew flew in the Falklands War on the front line as a helicopter pilot. Once of his tasks was to act as a decoy for any Exocet missiles that came the way of the fleet - real missiles that took out a couple of warships.

The British don't mess about in these things. If he's cleared to go, he's expected in the firing line. It's the expectation of the regiment.

Note that Harry is the "spare" and therefore gets the chance. Charles was barred from anything much more taxing than mine-sweeping, as is William.

I do not question the kid´s word.....he probably really wants to see action......youth breeds that kind of foolishness.

But don´t expect me to believe that the higher ups in the british military (or in the palace) will risk the chance of having him being killed, or even worse, kidnapped (what a can of worms that would be) in the name of a war that is already largely unpopular amongst the public....the Falklands was a very diferent situation, the british public was seriously pissed off and wanted to see the argentinians get their butts kicked...and like you said Andrew´s presence there was accepted because he was the "spare" and even applauded.

the possibility of this kid being kidnapped and beheaded in front of a camera for the whole world to see is a very diferent and sticky situation....it would be the PR equivalent to a bullet in the head....and a risk no one in their right mind would take....I´m pretty sure the british army isn´t run by fools, so I don´t have much doubt that the prince will be kept very safe and away from any real problems.

[Fragony]

But don´t expect me to believe that the higher ups in the british military (or in the palace) will risk the chance of having him being killed, or even worse, kidnapped

Uh-huh

[English assassin]

I´m pretty sure the british army isn´t run by fools, so I don´t have much doubt that the prince will be kept very safe and away from any real problems.

He probably IS pretty safe in the household cavalry. They do have tanks and stuff you know.

OK, he might get a bit shot or blown up, but the chance of being kidnapped seems rather remote.

Not that I think he deserves any credit for this, over and above any other squaddie. Lets think about this, the headline should be "Prince Harry does the job he is paid for, and for which he has been trained at consuiderable public expense".

One cheer. Maybe two on a good day.

[Grey_Fox]

the Falklands was a very diferent situation, the british public was seriously pissed off and wanted to see the argentinians get their butts kicked...

There was a significant anti-war movement in Britain.

[Mooks]

They should put him in the front line, dodging bullets. Teach him what war really is before he becomes a fiqure of some influence.

[Pannonian]

They should put him in the front line, dodging bullets. Teach him what war really is before he becomes a fiqure of some influence.

Can royalty be elected to the House of Commoos? If not, there's little chance he'll become a figure of influence. One person I would like to see on the frontlines in Iraq is Euan Blair, or even better Tony Blair. Nothing would please me more than to see that traitorous so and so face the war he helped start.

[Slyspy]

He'll be alot closer to the action than most of us, so well done to him.

[Scurvy]

overall i think its a positive... his willingness to go to the fighting, when he could easily use his position not too, is commendable, and although i think he will for the most part be kept out of harms way (not that he won't see any action) it at least shows willing and presumably boosts troop moral in the process...

[Sjakihata]

Nice avatar, Sinan.

Yeah, real nice looking one. Good job!

[Tribesman]

He's with the Household Cavalry, you need to be quite a good terrorist to knock those out.

No you just have to be a rather sick individual .
http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/d...00/2515343.stm
There are quite a number of sick individuals in Iraq .

[Louis VI the Fat]

Hey, this reminds me of that time I send my spare prince to Antioch along with my English crusade to up his stats. It was good for morale but all battles ended in those lightweight Egyptian camels simply exhausting my heavily armoured troops in the desert. I had to pull out in frustration. The Egyptians soon afterwards collapsed in rebellion, after which the Turks simply walked in. This spelled bad news for my allies who occupied Palestine, who feared the now very powerful Turkish more than anything else.

I had decided to simply follow the Pope in this game, hoping it would up my reputation with him. I couldn't resist his near religiously inspired calls for crusades, especially after the Almohads had sneak attacked the pope. In the papal states themselves even.

Why he would've called for a crusade against Egyptian Antioch instead of the Almohads I didn't really understand, but I made nothing of it.

Also, when I was pulling out, those cowardly Sicilians and Spanish broke their alliances with me. The alliances I forged with the upcoming new European powers of Poland and Hungary didn't last much longer either. And the whole enterprise seriously strained my important alliance with the Byzantines. They were not happy about the unfolding of events south of their border. Their being orthodox, my alliance with them was always one of convenience more than of heart and mind. Meanwhile, the HRE and France were doing great. I had send assassin after assassin against the French king, because I was rather p.o. with him because I helped him out against the HRE earlier. But all of my assassins had failed however, and he simply laughed it off.

Great game that was.

[Tribesman]

Louis , that is one of the funniest things I have read for quite some time

[Scurvy]

you think in 6 months time we'l be re-enacting his heroic death on mtw?

--> damn my val 8 prince just got killed by a unit of 2million naptha throwers....etc

[Incongruous]

Quite comedic, but I thought the Fench King was laughing stock?

[Pannonian]

Hey, this reminds me of that time I send my spare prince to Antioch along with my English crusade to up his stats. It was good for morale but all battles ended in those lightweight Egyptian camels simply exhausting my heavily armoured troops in the desert. I had to pull out in frustration. The Egyptians soon afterwards collapsed in rebellion, after which the Turks simply walked in. This spelled bad news for my allies who occupied Palestine, who feared the now very powerful Turkish more than anything else.

I had decided to simply follow the Pope in this game, hoping it would up my reputation with him. I couldn't resist his near religiously inspired calls for crusades, especially after the Almohads had sneak attacked the pope. In the papal states themselves even.

Why he would've called for a crusade against Egyptian Antioch instead of the Almohads I didn't really understand, but I made nothing of it.

What do you expect from the stupid AI? The day CA write some decent AI is the day you can expect to see logic in its decisions.

Also, when I was pulling out, those cowardly Sicilians and Spanish broke their alliances with me.

Beat them down with another army, or do you only have the one stack that's currently occupied in Antioch? If you need to support more troops, try raising tax levels to high. You have done that, haven't you? Don't tell me you're trying to fight a war with tax levels on low.

The alliances I forged with the upcoming new European powers of Poland and Hungary didn't last much longer either. And the whole enterprise seriously strained my important alliance with the Byzantines. They were not happy about the unfolding of events south of their border. Their being orthodox, my alliance with them was always one of convenience more than of heart and mind. Meanwhile, the HRE and France were doing great. I had send assassin after assassin against the French king, because I was rather p.o. with him because I helped him out against the HRE earlier. But all of my assassins had failed however, and he simply laughed it off.

Great game that was.

Can you tell us how the game ended? Or are you going to keep us in suspense?

[Justiciar]

The Papacy invaded, and successfull enslaved England, only to be completely owned by the Golden Horde a few decades later.

[Louis VI the Fat]

Can you tell us how the game ended?

I'm still playing. It's very tense. Novgorod has suddenly re-emerged, stronger than I expected. So I've decided to let England embrace this kind of catholic union that's been forming on the mainland. They conquered Wallachia and Bulgaria last turn. They're looking strong if they can really tighten their alliance. Even the Byzantines might join them.

Then we are going to amend our relations with the pope as soon as the current one dies. I've been a faithful follower of the popes, giving me some sort of special relationship with the papacy. This could be useful for cementing a bond between the union and the pope. Catholics after all are utterly useless without a pope.
The French king is getting way old too, about to die any turn now. His heir hopefully won't have 'stubborn' as a character trait. The papacy really isn't going to relocate to Avignon in this game, it's hardcoded. This is obviously a clear failure of the programmers. Who also never removed the code that makes the French AI play as if ultimate catholic overlordship will some they be theirs.

Then together, this catholic union and the papacy don't need to worry about the Turks, Almohads, or re-emerged Novgorod. And maybe we can then keep the Golden Horde at bay, who are about to spring up in huge numbers in the east.

[Papewaio]

the possibility of this kid being kidnapped and beheaded in front of a camera for the whole world to see is a very diferent and sticky situation....it would be the PR equivalent to a bullet in the head....and a risk no one in their right mind would take....

A PR bullet in the head for who? The Brits or the terrorists?

WWII bombing cities and killing civilians only united the opposition. War crimes have a similar tendency.

Killing Harry after kidnapping him would only make the Brits angry. So if I was wearing a tin hat I would be more worried about a CIA operation made to look like terrorists then the real deal. I assume friendly fire is still something to worry about to. Blue on Royal Blue...