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Prince Harry will serve in Iraq | Prince Harry will serve in Iraq |
(40 minutes later) | |
Prince Harry's regiment will be deployed to Iraq, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Clarence House have confirmed in a joint statement. | |
His Blues and Royals regiment will serve in Iraq for six months as part of the latest deployments. | |
The prince will be the first senior royal to serve on the front line since Prince Andrew in the Falklands in 1982. | The prince will be the first senior royal to serve on the front line since Prince Andrew in the Falklands in 1982. |
While in Iraq, the prince will carry out "a normal troop commander's role", the statement said. | |
The Royal household has been consulted throughout Joint MoD and Clarence House statement class="" href="/1/hi/uk/6385169.stm">Iraq deployment no surprise | |
This will involve "leading a troop of 12 men in four Scimitar armoured reconnaissance vehicles, each with a crew of three", the statement added. | |
"The decision to deploy him has been a military one, made by Chief of General Staff, Gen Sir Richard Dannatt, in conjunction with Cornet Wales' commanding officer," it said. | |
"The Royal household has been consulted throughout." | |
Further details of exactly where Harry would serve, or his specific role, would not be released because such a move would be "potentially dangerous", the statement added. | |
Defence Secretary Des Browne is expected to make a written statement on the deployment to the Commons later. | |
Prince Harry graduated from Sandhurst in April last year and qualified as an armoured reconnaissance troop leader in October. | Prince Harry graduated from Sandhurst in April last year and qualified as an armoured reconnaissance troop leader in October. |
HAVE YOUR SAY He is in the Army and wants to be treated like any other junior officer Kevin class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?threadID=5560&edition=1&ttl=20070222111306">Send us your comments | |
Known to colleagues as Troop Commander Wales, he is able to lead reconnaissance units known as the Army's "eyes and ears". | |
It comes after Prime Minister Tony Blair told MPs that 1,600 British troops would return from Iraq within the next few months. | It comes after Prime Minister Tony Blair told MPs that 1,600 British troops would return from Iraq within the next few months. |
He said the 7,100 serving troops in the south of Iraq around Basra would be cut to 5,500 soon, with hopes that 500 more will leave by late summer. | He said the 7,100 serving troops in the south of Iraq around Basra would be cut to 5,500 soon, with hopes that 500 more will leave by late summer. |
Prince Andrew, Harry's uncle, was a helicopter pilot in the Falklands conflict. | Prince Andrew, Harry's uncle, was a helicopter pilot in the Falklands conflict. |