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Harry will be terrorists’ No 1 target back in Britain
Nicholas Cecil and Robert Jobson29.02.08
Prince Harry is being pulled out of Afghanistan today for his own personal safety after details of his tour of duty fighting the Taliban were published on a US website.
The Queen has spoken of her pride — but also her fears — for her grandson. Sources now fear he could become a number one target for Islamist terrorists operating in Britain.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, chief of the defence staff, is holding talks this morning with General Sir Richard Dannatt, head of the Army, to discuss details of withdrawing the Prince. A military source told the Evening Standard: “The decision has been taken to extract him from theatre.
“It's just a matter of when now. One of our primary concerns is obviously Prince Harry but also the safety of those serving alongside him."
Harry has been fighting in Helmand province for the past 10 weeks but the tour of duty was kept secret from the public to prevent him attracting extra attention from the Taliban.
However, the disclosure on a US website prompted today's decision to bring him home. It is now feared he will become “target number one" for Islamist terrorists once back in Britain.
Security will be stepped up to the highest level while royal protection officers from Scotland Yard have already been told to take “no risks" over his safety.
It is understood he is to be warned not to return to his regular drinking haunts including the nightclubs Boujis, Amika and Mahiki, where he was a regular on the social circuit until his secret deployment.
Harry agreed he could be a “top target" for terrorists in Britain after fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan.
The 23-year-old Army officer, who has been serving with a light tank squadron in the desert, said he accepted the possibility that home-grown extremists sympathetic to the Taliban could try to “slot" him on his return.
But he shrugged off the danger, saying that, as a member of the Royal Family, he was used to threats.
He even joked that he would fend off any attackers with his Army issue pistol, or a Gurkha kukri knife he was given as a present after serving alongside a company of the Nepalese fighters during part of his time in Afghanistan.
British troops who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan have been targeted by Islamist extremists in the UK. It was also reported recently that Allied intercepts of Taliban radio communications picked up some who were speaking in what appeared to be Birmingham and Yorkshire accents.
Speaking in a joint press and television interview in Helmand — parts of which can be reported now the news blackout has been broken — Harry admitted for the first time that he could be at risk.
“Once this ... comes out, every single person that supports them will be trying to slot me," he said. “Now that you come to think about it, it's quite worrying.
“I think there's a lot of guys here who hopefully won't be targeted but ... now everyone will know I'm out here no doubt I'll be a top target."
He told how he had met US troops who told him of their own safety fears: “They were saying that they've got to keep their identity wrapped up and all this sort of stuff because guys in America are hunting down their families."
He added: “I don't know whether it's the right thing or wrong thing to say, but I suppose I would be in that position anyway, just being part of that family. There are threats that come in the whole time, not as many as you'd expect, hopefully."
He joked: “I'll be taking my pistol home with me hopefully."
His security in Afghanistan was closely monitored by three Gurkhas who are understood to have received SAS training.
An “extraction team" was on standby to remove him if it was felt his security was compromised, with an American helicopter ready to swoop onto the ground and take him to safety at Camp Bastion, the forward Allied base in Afghanistan.
Prince Andrew was regarded as a major target for the IRA when he returned from the Falklands conflict in 1982. Serving soldiers have also become a target for extremists.
Last week a terrorist was jailed for life for leading a plot to kidnap and execute a British Muslim soldier “like a pig".
Parviz Khan, believed to be a senior al Qaeda figure, led a cell in Birmingham which planned to behead a serving soldier and broadcast the crime on the internet.
Reader views (6)
Target in the UK? You mean he wasn't before he went to Afghanistan?
- Rogan, DFW Texas
I'm sure he's more than a match for them especially as his bodyguards are all tooled up. Interesting to see the reaction the first time someone wanders past him with a rucksack on his return. Big up to him.
- Squiz, Islington
Oh how beautiful, promoting a war this is just FANTASTIC.
I am sick of this government, democracy what is that?
Harry playing with a bike, war is just so much fun, nonsense.
Shame on you! Shame on the media! Shame on the Government!
My condolences for the parents that lost their children in this Stupid money making war and now have to see Harry playing with his bike as if the war was not killing innocent people. That includes the civilians that died and are dying still.
- Elisa, London, uk
His fate was that he was born into a royal family, which means experiencing the 'consequence' unfortunately of being a royal.
Here we have a guy with guts a human being who wants to contribute, and take responsibility as far as he can judge. His compassion should be guided cause the intention is good.
- Jaime, uk
EVERY step the Prince took was apparently photographed or filmed. The ENTIRE thing is a PR stunt. People are massively stupid to swallow this nonsense.
- Louise, Athens, GA, USA
While praising Harry for doing his bit, let's not forget all the other servicemen and women out there doing equally or even more stressful jobs. Let's make sure that the government cannot avoid providing their families with homes fit to live in and that on their returning home that they get the treatment and support that they have earned.
- Peter Haldane, London
