Why Harry mustnt go to Iraq.
The week's news at a glance.
United Kingdom
Minette Marrin
Sunday Times
The army can’t seriously be considering deploying Prince Harry to Iraq, said Minette Marrin in the London Sunday Times. The radical Shiite militia known as the Mahdi Army has already threatened to capture the “handsome spoilt prince,” as it calls Harry, and “return him to his grandmother without ears.” Such treatment would be generous. Harry is “much more likely to lose his head, horribly and publicly, on footage seen repeatedly all over the world.” To Islamic extremists, the red-haired, blue-eyed, hard-drinking lad is a symbol of the decadent West. And “symbols have great power, particularly in unsophisticated cultures.” It’s obvious the poor boy wants to play soldier. Harry will surely argue that his uncle Prince Andrew got to serve as a helicopter pilot in the Falklands war. But back then, “the circumstances were entirely different—and in any case, he shouldn’t have gone.” If Harry were to serve in an active regiment, he would put himself, his men, and his country’s honor in danger. “He should never have been allowed for an instant to think he would be allowed to go.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
An iconic ship is being turned into the world's largest artificial reef
Under the Radar The SS United States will be sunk off the coast of Florida if all goes to plan
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
The 'loyalty testers' who can check a partner's fidelity
Under The Radar The history of 'honey-trapping goes back a long way'
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Crossword: October 9, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published