Prince Harry Banned from Deploying to Iraq

Prince Harry will not be going to Iraq, as he originally planned. This mission was something that Prince Harry really wanted to do. He has been quoted as saying, "There's no way I'm going to put myself through Sandhurst and then sit on my arse back home while my boys are out fighting for their country. That may sound patriotic but it's true." The third in line for throne, after his father Prince Charles and brother Prince William, was previously assigned to be stationed near the port Basra for patrol duty on the Iran border. Prince Harry would have been the first member of the royal family to serve in a combat situation since his uncle, Prince Andrew did in the Falklands in 1982. This decision is to protect both Prince Harry and the other service members, he would be stationed with.

Gen. Sir Richard Dannatt and other senior officials have been reviewing their decision to send him, since the original decision was made to allow Prince Harry know as 2nd Lt Wales to command 11 men was made.

Gen. Sir Richard Dannatt, Britain's army chef of staff, believes that new elements would make this deployment much too dangerous for Prince Harry. Of course, the stream of media attention to Prince Harry's possible departure only served to spread the news of his deployment. This caused him to be a much larger target.