Yeah I looked it up :p I'm a nerd too.

I'm sure it does help, but to be Behind your little brother, military school or not ;)

This is a much different type of warfare though. I'd think a British Prince over in Iraq would be too much of a target for a kidnapping.

True, but there's a level of "this shit you don't want" in that. On September 11, I remember some Palestinian group taking responsibility for the attacks. Shortly after this the leader of the group came out and denied it. Though they might ordinarily take credit for things, there is some shit they don't want to touch.

Either prince's fellow soldiers would not let him go willingly, and the last thing they should want to do is piss off England to the point where they realign themselves more strongly with the US.

Not saying they wouldn't do it, just that it's stupid.

Then your contention is that your average jihadist in Iraq is smart?

The average jihadist will be of average intelligence by definition. Seriously though, they have leaders of at least moderate intelligence. The truly stupid ones wouldn't make it very far.

Besides I'm not denying the possibility, just acknowledging the idiocy of it. Whether Will should be on the ground in Iraq is a much different question than whether Harry should be. Just on the basis of succession alone.

And what do you base this on?

So the head people tell the poor people to go blow themselves and other people of their relegion up?

I guess I am missing something here?

Tom, as you can see, we're not talking about suicide bombers, but yes, the more elite terrorists send other people to accomplish that job. They're all about exploiting one-another's talents and values for the sake of their cause.

It's pretty sad when your best value to a political cause is as an explosive device.

Don't be giving away Tom's voting techniques...

Yes... and he had to be official ordered by the Queen not to go to Canada when the Canadian Airborne was being disbanded - he was the honourary Colonel and dearly loved the Regiment (and they him), and participated in some training and a number of jumps. There are rumours that he fired off a nasty phone call or too directed at the PM - and while that may or may not be true he did in fact he gave the PM quite the earful when next he was in the UK...

The odds of that happening... well it just wouldn't - the Blue and Royals would literally die to a man stopping that; it's part of their job description as the Household Cavalry.

But face it the Royals in the military have always faced some threat, and the threat of terrorist attacks is nothing new for them either (ie. the IRA). So operating under an elevated level of threat is pretty much par for the course.

Well it looks like the speculation about Prince Harry deploying to Iraq is picking up again, with the MoD dismissing a newspaper report that he'd deploy by the end of the month as "entirely speculative"... of course if troop rotations keep to the standard pattern late spring is a strong possibility.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6372291.stm

I have a hard time believing that he'll see battle.

Harry is much more likely to see combat than William. You'd think William would be guarded even more carefully (and perhaps kept closer to home) The whole heir and a spare sort of thing. I'm blanking on the rest of the royal family.

Who are Charles' siblings? Just Prince Andrew? (Should say Harry and Will die or something, who follows Charles to the throne?)

I think the birth order for Charles and his siblings goes:
Crown Prince Charles
Princess Anne
Prince Andrew
Prince Edward (married to Sophie, who kinda looks like Lady Di)

Queen Elizabeth II's children in birth order

Charles (1948)
Anne (1950)
Andrew (1960)
Edward (1964)


Charles's sons, William and Harry, are 2nd and 3rd succession to the throne. Anne has two children, Peter and Zara. Her her discretion, neither carry a royal title. I am not sure if they are in succession to the throne. Andrew has two daughters by his marriage to Sarah Ferguson, Beatrice and Eugenie, both of whom carry the title of Princess. Edward has one child, a daughter named Louise, given the title of "Lady".