Prince Harry to serve in Iraq

Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Wednesday that British troop deployments will be cut by 1,600 in the coming months and that all bases except for Basra Palace and Basra Air Base will be handed over to Iraqi forces.

The narrowing of the British presence to the two locations in southern Iraq will mean any insurgent groups looking to target Troop Commander Wales—as he is known to his colleagues—- will not have to look far to find him. That has led to some concern that his presence could bring an extra risk to his fellow soldiers.

He will lead a team of 12 men in four armoured reconnaissance vehicles, and could become the first royal to see combat since his uncle Prince Andrew served in the Falklands war in 1982.

Harry has been a frequent face on the front of Britain’s tabloid newspapers, which have provided a constant stream of coverage of his party-going lifestyle at some of London’s liveliest nightspots.

He has also acknowledged drinking before being of legal age and smoking marijuana. In January 2006, he issued an apology after being pictured in a newspaper at a costume party dressed as a Nazi, including a swastika armband.

But he has been serious about is joining “my boys” in Iraq. After graduating from Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, he insisted on getting the opportunity to serve his country.

“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,” he said in an interview to mark his 21st birthday. “That may sound very patriotic, but it’s true.”

Military experts were divided over whether Harry’s presence would make the situation more dangerous for his comrades.

“I don’t think your average fellow officer will care that much,” said Amyas Godfrey, a military expert at the Royal United Services Institute, a London-based think tank. “There needs to be more consideration with him because of the media interest, but it won’t be a burden.”