02/29/08

current event
title:UK pulls Harry from Afghanistan

who:Prince Harry,

what:Prince Harry is to be pulled out of Afghanistan immediately amid fears for his safety after news of his deployment was made public, the British defense ministry said Friday.The 23-year-old Household Cavalry officer, who has been fighting the Taliban in Helmand Province for 10 weeks, is set to be flown home to the UK.
The prince, third in line to the British throne, has been deployed to Afghanistan since December, the British military acknowledged Thursday, but many news outlets agreed to keep the information secret for security reasons. A Web site broke the news blackout earlier in the day

when:02/29/08

where:LONDON, England

why:It issued a written statement saying: "The decision by elements of the foreign media to report Prince Harry's presence in Afghanistan without any consultation with the Ministry of Defence is regrettable.

how:His duties included calling in airstrikes and air support when necessary, guaranteeing the accuracy of bombing on the ground and guarding against incidents of friendly fire.
Harry is the younger son of Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne, and the late Princess Diana, who died in a Paris car crash in 1997. The military confirmed his assignment after a U.S. Web site broke the news blackout.
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.
But Gen. Richard Dannatt, the chief of Britain's General Staff, said the experience has demonstrated "that it is perfectly possible for Prince Harry to be employed just the same as other Army officers of his rank and experience."