Prince Harry is in Afghanistan, fighting the Taleban

Fingolfin_Noldor · Post by **Fingolfin_Noldor** » 2008-02-29 01:07pm

The Duchess of Zeon wrote: Also, Windsor was a WW1 innovation. The correct name for the dynasty is the very Germanic Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. After Charles takes the throne, it will be Saxe-Coburg-Gotha-Battenberg.

I understand that the Normans had some ties to the Saxon kings, but which part of the name is Nordic in origin? Or did they abandon that altogether?

Illuminatus Primus · Post by **Illuminatus Primus** » 2008-02-29 01:18pm

The Norman line of William I the Conqueror is negligible by the modern day; the Windsor family is a largely Germanic house from the 17th century, not as a Norman one.

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » 2008-02-29 01:32pm

Dartzap wrote:
Yeah, its probably for the best, but I think he wont be too happy about it. As people have said, he's not an intellectual, he's a hands on type, bumming around Kensington wont be fun for him.

Ten weeks combat experiance isn't great but they could use him as an instructor at various schools. It's fairly critical not to lose any knowledge they've gained from this war.

The Duchess of Zeon · Post by **The Duchess of Zeon** » 2008-02-29 01:34pm

Illuminatus Primus wrote:The Norman line of William I the Conqueror is negligible by the modern day; the Windsor family is a largely Germanic house from the 17th century, not as a Norman one.

The dynastic name of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha actually comes from Prince Albert, Victoria's husband. In those days, the dynastic name still changed when a Queen married and had issue, to that of her husband.

The Duchess of Zeon · Post by **The Duchess of Zeon** » 2008-02-29 01:36pm

Dartzap wrote:
The Duchess of Zeon wrote:
Illuminatus Primus wrote:William is not the Prince of Wales.

Harry's title is Prince Henry of Wales, IP. You see, Prince of Wales--the courtesy title of the Crown Prince--was the title of the rulers of Wales, which means that the Crown Prince's children get to carry the style of a prince (though non-regnant) of Wales as well.
You do know that your far more knowledgeable about this than most Brits, right? That's fairly amusing:)

You are aware of my politics, right? It would be a travesty if I didn't know this stuff. Whatever people think of my beliefs, one can be damned sure I know every single bloody detail of things I make to support.

Lord Pounder · Post by **Lord Pounder** » 2008-02-29 07:25pm

As an Irish republican of the small r variety I am quite pleased that one of the royal family finally did something useful, even if it was only for 10 weeks.

I do wonder what danger Harry could really have been in, IIRC the reports I saw in News 24 showed him in command of a squad of Gurka's, the finest soldiers on the planet in my opinion. If any one had went after Harry god would need to have mercy on their sould because the littloe men from Nepal wouldn't have.

Adrian Laguna · Post by **Adrian Laguna** » 2008-02-29 08:24pm

I don't see why it's that important to pull Harry out. Is the location of his unit public knowledge? One would think that even vaguely sensible op-sec would mean that even if the Taliban knows there's a high value target hidden among the ranks of the British Army in Afghanistan, they would have no way of knowing where he is. What are they going to do, focus their attacks on all British units?

Post by **weemadando** » 2008-03-01 05:14am

I'm now just waiting for the editorial staff of New Idea to start dying in not-so-tragic accidents.

Or for there to be a backlash against them.

Or something.

But - well, they fuck up the man's life some more, risk the lives of many others and all to sell a magazine that most people wouldn't be willing to use for anything other than fire-starting material.

Again, I applaud the British press for having the prescience to not pull a stunt like this.

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2008-03-01 05:16am

Adrian Laguna wrote:What are they going to do, focus their attacks on all British units?

Know what I would do immediately follwing the break of this story?

I'd gather Harry's unit into a conference room, close the doors; and tell them that we have an opportunity.

We broadcast harry's location far and wide; and set a trap for the taliban, when they try to take advantage of it, and try to cack Harry. There will be risks of course, but a chance to get the taliban to attack?

Post by **weemadando** » 2008-03-01 05:20am

From the sounds of things his role has mainly been as a CAC working from a well defended base of some 10,000 men. But, yeah - certainly setting a massive trap could be nice. But now that it has been blown wide open a trap is what they'd likely be expecting.

[R_H] · Post by **[R_H]** » 2008-03-01 05:23am

Cpl Kendall wrote: Lets not encourage Harper anymore than we have too. The last thing the Army needs is to stay in that hellhole for another six years and bleed dry.

By bleed dry, are you referring to wear on equipment or casualties etc?

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2008-03-01 05:24am

weemadando wrote:But now that it has been blown wide open a trap is what they'd likely be expecting.

Fine, they refuse to attack? We carpet the countryside with leaflets calling them cowards and women. Use their sad religion against them

Chris OFarrell · Post by **Chris OFarrell** » 2008-03-01 05:25am

weemadando wrote:I'm now just waiting for the editorial staff of New Idea to start dying in not-so-tragic accidents.

Or for there to be a backlash against them.

Or something.

But - well, they fuck up the man's life some more, risk the lives of many others and all to sell a magazine that most people wouldn't be willing to use for anything other than fire-starting material.

Again, I applaud the British press for having the prescience to not pull a stunt like this.

I almost started to plan a tragic accident when I heard their 'its not my fault' crap, with them saying that THEY didn't know there was an embargo against the news.

I could give a ten page list of reasoning WHY this is clearly the most bullshit excuse in the history of news 'we didn't know' excuses, but its enough I think now to just say that I'm hoping we see the rest of the media gleefully rip into them like hell over this, followed by them printing a full apology to the 2nd Lt himself, the men of his unit and the British armed forces as a whole that takes up the first 5 pages of their next issue.

Not that it will happen, but it would be a start.

Spin Echo · Post by **Spin Echo** » 2008-03-01 05:36am

weemadando wrote:I'm now just waiting for the editorial staff of New Idea to start dying in not-so-tragic accidents.

Or for there to be a backlash against them.

Or something.

But - well, they fuck up the man's life some more, risk the lives of many others and all to sell a magazine that most people wouldn't be willing to use for anything other than fire-starting material.

Again, I applaud the British press for having the prescience to not pull a stunt like this.

I just get this mental image of Taliban sitting around in caves scouring Australian Women's magazine for any other possible information slip ups.

Post by **weemadando** » 2008-03-01 05:39am

I hear the CIA just added 5,000 subscriptions to Take 5 magazine as their latest Sudoku puzzles apparently contains precise Lat/Lon co-ords for Bin Laden and Iraq's WMDs.

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » 2008-03-01 05:43am

[R_H] wrote:
By bleed dry, are you referring to wear on equipment or casualties etc?

Casualties, equipment, retention and troop burnout. We're now looking at units who are on tour three. And the Joint Signals Regiment in Kingston (who run the National Rear Link) rotate in and out every sixty days.

Zablorg · Post by **Zablorg** » 2008-03-01 05:43am

Where did you hear this?

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » 2008-03-01 05:50am

Hear what?

Zablorg · Post by **Zablorg** » 2008-03-01 05:58am

Oh shit, not you, sorry. Weemadandoo. I thought I wouldn't need to quote because I would be the first person to post after him.

Mr. Coffee · Post by **Mr. Coffee** » 2008-03-01 07:58am

Oh, not to say Matt Drudge isn't a worthlss sack or anything...

But can someone explain to me why the MoD even said a fucking word about one of their soldeir's deploments to the media in the first fucking place? Did the OPSEC nanny have the day off or something?

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2008-03-01 09:33am

I would presume it was so they couldn't be called on it later if a media team happened to come across Harry and then print questionable content in the tabloids or on the evening news later on. It'd look bad if the MoD had sent Harry there and not mentioned a thing, given how big a blowback we've had against the Beeb along the "They're in cahoots with the government on this sordid war" angle.

Mr. Coffee · Post by **Mr. Coffee** » 2008-03-01 10:01am

Well, it's not like anyone with half a brain couldn't have figured out that 1. Prince Harry is an LT with unit X, 2. Unit X deployed to Afganistan, 3. Harry hasn;t made any public apperances lately, therefore Harry is in Afganistan with Unit X.

So basically the MoD is pointing fingers at others because they disclosed information about a deployment. "Hey, we're not to blame for telling the press, the press is to blame for doing their jobs... Oh, wait..."

Yeah, this should be in the running for "Most Retarded News Story of 2008".

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2008-03-01 11:02am

Actually, there have been other stories the MoD and the like have briefed the press on and slammed a gagging order on top so that the media know they can't broach the story to the public without endangering lives. This has been done with hostage situations, especially in Iraq, where the media would find out sooner or later, blurt the story out with or without conspiracy flavours thrown in and then put on the "Who me?" attitude as if they need to be told it was fucking stupid.

It seems the Australian, German and American press are just too fucking stupid to grasp this concept.

Post by **Broomstick** » 2008-03-01 11:09am

Ubiquitous wrote:Well, Harry is not a great Brit. I don't agree with his lifestyle and I think he is a bit dumb.

I don't see how Harry could have had much choice in his lifestyle until he was an adult, and the English royal family have never been particularly noted for their brains.

That said, they do have balls. If I recall, they stayed in London during the entire blitz rather than high-tailing it to somewhere safer.

Mr. Coffee · Post by **Mr. Coffee** » 2008-03-01 11:26am

Admiral Valdemar wrote:Actually, there have been other stories the MoD and the like have briefed the press on and slammed a gagging order on top so that the media know they can't broach the story to the public without endangering lives. This has been done with hostage situations, especially in Iraq, where the media would find out sooner or later, blurt the story out with or without conspiracy flavours thrown in and then put on the "Who me?" attitude as if they need to be told it was fucking stupid.

It seems the Australian, German and American press are just too fucking stupid to grasp this concept.

You know, there's a hell of a lot of difference between a hostage situation and a celebrity going somewhere. Especially when it's a member of the British Royal Familly, a group of poeple that probably can't take a dump without photos of their colons ending up in a tabloid. For one, maybe next time the MoD should just maybe NOT tell the press shit like this, because you tell a group of reporters anything and IT WILL get publicized. Secondly, if Prince Harry is somehow in more danger because people know he's deploying with his unit, maybe the Royal Family should reconsider having it's members serve in combat units.

Yeah, Matt Drudge is a dick, the German press are dicks, the Austalian press are dicks, but the fact remains that 1. this was something that anyoen could have figured out for themselves and 2. the MoD were the ones that gave the information out to a group of people whose job it is to report shit. That's like trying to prevent your home getting broken into by posting the location of your spare key on the internet and then asking people not to tell anyone. It's fucking clownshoes. Yeah, let's blame the press for doing what they ALWAYS do.