Harry

Oh poor Harry I was so trying to be nice about him. He's not thick but he's definately not the brightest button in the box. He started Y12 taking 3 A levels (Art History, Art and Geography) and dropped to 2 A levels (Art and Geography) in Y13. He got a B in Art and D in Geography. Hardly mind blowing for someone who went to Eton and had a very, very good education with the best facilities and the best teachers.

That being said he's a brave lad. He could have hidden behind his family and got a safe posting somewhere cushy but he didn't. He's out there in the thick of it and he has to be admired for that.

And he's entitled to have whatever fun he wants to have when off duty. So long as he hurts no one else. And I'm 100 per cent (can't find the key) sure he would never do that.

That's better than many kids do these days. My daughter would be quite happy with that amongst her lot.

Absent, some blokes never mature, no matter what age they reach!

Twenty-nine isn't a kid either.

No. But it's hardly old. Best to allow young people time to be young.

I think this is the complete thing

j07 so right with the aynalise s? of the x-box DS2s entrance exam was marked high as to his quickness in response to question set on a a screen,in the field he had to make life or death choices in a split second not stand around thinking what he should do.

Having listened again to his interview I do feel disturbed by what he says - he talks of taking people "out of the game" and of getting the guys who are hurting our guys. This is the politics of the kindergarten - you take my toy and I'll take yours. This is the mindset that disturbs me so.

If he had expressed regret and talked of killing as the unfortunate consequence of the situation in Afghanistan it would be tolerable, but the langauge of games of soldiers should have no place in a modern army.

Of course I abhor terrorism, as we all do, but we have to challenge it in as civilsed a way as possible; and we have to be sure that the ways in which we challenge it do not stir up more hatred in the very people we seek to defend ourselves from. It is a difficult and fine line to tread and this sort of interview (especially from a royal) does nothing to help. I hope his seniors have a word with him.

He should have known such a question would be thrown at him and had a sensible, mature answer to give. His advisors should have prepared him for the interview. I'm afraid being the second in line has always been a difficult place to be in the Royal Family. I'm glad that William is the one that will be king one day.

At the risk of getting my head bitten off 'thank you for the link J0'

I think it's appropriate for politicians to be expressing regret about the unfortunate consequences of war. I would prefer the soldiers who are risking their own lives to protect the lives of my children & grandchildren, to have a more robust attitude.

I have only hear snippets of the interview as have avoided it like the plague. One thing that does spring to my mind is that it seems wholly inappropriate for any
" serving forces personnel" to actually talk about killing people! Yes we all know it is what they are there for. We know deep down ( unless they are a chef or nurse) that is what they will do, but it is not the " done thing" to discuss it ( dare I say brag about it?) openly and least of all internationally.

j07 whilst I can never condone the atrocities carried out in the name of the Taliban their soldiers are still human beings. They believe, as do allied troops, that they are fighting a just war.

I felt the expression 'admitted to killing a few taliban' dehumanised those killed. I believe once we forget that the 'enemy' are people too with parents, brothers, sisters, children etc it allows society to accept bad soldiering from our/allied forces such as the appalling things that happened / are happening in Guantanamo.

Of course prince h had to shoot at the enemy it is his job...not sure what he said in response to the press question but it's not always what you say but how you say it..maybe he got that bit wrong?

Also with his training /background he should be a bit more mature at 29...

He's a soldier. He has to blank out those who he's killing. It's not a natural act for one human to kill another so they're trained to deal with that. One way is to say it's an 'us or them' situation. A soldier can't let himself think about who he's killing and what that person's life story is. He's trained to fight and kill if necessary and that's what he does. He can't wait ask if this person is going to kill him. He has to assume that if the other person is there then he's there to kill him. Why else would he be there pointing a gun at him? The Taliban have the capability to shoot him out of the sky. Does he risk his life and that of his crew more than necessary or does he attack and kill first?

Horrible as it sounds that's the nature of war. Kill or be killed.

I do not think that he should have been asked the question in the first place.

But I would have thought that the powers that be might have predicted that it could arise and have briefed him on asuitable reply such as: "I do not think it is appropriate for me to comment on that."

We know that war is kill or be killed, which is why excursions such as Afghanistan are to be deprecated, but to have a member of the royal family expressing that in such flippant terms will not make the soldiers or anyone else safer.

The bottom line is: does what he says make the terrorists less or more likely to wish to cause us harm?

Obviously killing is part of war and I agree there probably will be "kill or be killed" situations.

However I still don't think he was right to brag about it talk about it vampirequeen.

I don't think he was bragging about it. He was stating facts. He has killed. You have to try to see it from a soldiers point of view. If he thinks of them as people and dwells on what he's done then how will he live with it. Soldiers see and do things that the rest of us can never imagine in our worst nightmares. My DH was in Kuwait and believe me you don't want to know some of the things that he saw.

Yes vampirequeen they do, but mostly they don't talk about it. It is very rare that you will hear a serving soldier or indeed veteran " bragging" that they have killed someone. My ex son in law saw action in Afghanistan (several times) and Iraq and never once spoke about " killing people" even though I know he probably did. I think Harry was trying to be " one of the guys" but sadly he made it sound like he was playing some violent computer game!

Soldiers aren't usually put on the spot and asked directly if they've killed anyone. As I said earlier he's not the brightest button in the box but I don't think he was bragging. He was just stating a fact.

If anyone is still interested, the interview is to be repeated on BBC3 next Monday at 9 pm.

In that case vampirequeen he should have said something on the lines of.....
"I am sorry i am not prepared to answer that question". Which would have been so much more dignified.

Additionally I don't think he has given any thought or consideration for the poor souls still out there or those who will follow behind him. The comments he made will no doubt escalate what is already a hopeless situation.

My point exactly gillybob - the aim is to reduce casualties, not risk stirring up more hatred.

He could have found a diplomatic reply and should have been so advised by his seniors before the interview.

He's a soldier not a diplomat. Do you think the Taliban care whether our soldiers worry about killing them? If he'd said some of the Taliban are quite nice chaps would they think twice about shooting at our troops? They're out to inflict the most damage regardless. They want us out of their country and will kill anyone to achieve their aims.

I think you might be misunderstanding what I am trying to say vampirequeen. I am in no way suggesting he should have said "some of the Taliban are quite nice chaps" that would be just plain silly.

My point is he should not have mentioned "killing people". We all know that is what is happening, we all know that is what war is about. But a dignified serving soldier does not tell the world "yes I have killed a few" or whatever stupid remark he made. This remark (made by the third in line to the throne) will only fan the flames of the Taliban and those poor boys and girls who go after him will suffer because of it !