SHAFAQNA

SHAFAQNA (Shia International News Association) -- When Prince Harry compared fighting in Afghanistan to playing a video game, the Taliban were quick to accuse him of mental illness and cowardice, joining a chorus of criticism from all sides.

But in Afghanistan's highest reaches of government he has found at least one ally. President Hamid Karzai, usually quick to condemn western mis-steps in his country, told the Guardian that the young royal's comments may have been a mistake, but he should be let off the hook because of his age.

"Prince Harry is a young man, we do give exits to young men when they make mistakes," said Karzai, who is visiting the UK for a high-level conference, and also expects to meet Prince Charles before flying home.

A long-standing friendship with Charles, whom he described as a "great representative of Britain", may have contributed to Karzai's uncharacteristic reticence.

"Prince Charles, the father of Prince Harry, is a very fine gentleman, a man for whom I have tremendous respect," Karzai told the Guardian and ITV News in an exclusive interview, when asked whether he thought Harry had spoken unwisely.

But he also drew a telling contrast with Prince Charles's more peaceful reputation, as he reminisced about years of admiration for his friend's vocal advocacy of traditional building styles.

"For years, even when I was a student in Shimla, I used to read about his dislike of modern architecture and the cement buildings and I entirely agreed with him. Prince Charles is a great representative of Britain and the British ways of life," he said.

Karzai is visiting the UK for a trilateral meeting with the British prime minister, David Cameron, and the Pakistani president, Asif Ali Zardari, with the aim of improving fractious relations between the south Asian neighbours and ultimately pave the way for a peace deal with the Taliban.

He arrived shortly after the broadcast of several media interviews Harry gave to mark the end of a 20-week deployment as a co-pilot in an Apache attack helicopter stationed in Camp Bastion, in turbulent southern Helmand province.

Initially, much of the coverage of Harry, which included shots of him ripping out an earpiece as his aircraft was scrambled for an engagement, was greeted largely with admiration. But the description of his job as a "joy" sat uneasily with admissions that he had probably killed Taliban fighters from the helicopter.

"Take a life to save a life, that's what we revolve around. If there's people trying to do bad stuff to our guys, then we'll take them out of the game," he said. "I'm not here on a free pass … Our job out here is to make sure the guys are safe on the ground and if that means shooting someone who is shooting them, then we will do it."

The prince, who was in charge of firing the Apache's Hellfire air-to-surface missiles, rockets and 30mm gun, also said his taste for video games helped him in battle. "It's a joy for me because I'm one of those people who loves playing PlayStation and Xbox, so with my thumbs I like to think I'm probably quite useful," he said.

Pushed again about the remarks, Karzai said most people had made mistakes in their youth and shouldn't be hounded for that. "As I said, he's a young man, and young men do make mistakes talking, while behaving, all of us have gone through that period, so let's drop it there."

Harry's enemies on the battlefield, who have also said they are targeting Karzai even as his government tries to reach out to them, were not so reticent, describing the young prince as a coward who ran away from fighting the mujahideen, or "holy warriors", as the militants like to call themselves.

"I don't believe that he participated in the fighting," said Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban. "Maybe he has seen the mujahideen in a movie, but that's it."

He accused Harry, who has now completed two tours in one of Afghanistan's roughest provinces, of staying away from the fight. "I think he has a mental problem, that's why he is saying it is a game," he said. "These kind of people live like diplomats in Afghanistan, they can't risk themselves by standing against the mujahideen."

www.shafaqna.com/English

SHAFAQNA (Shia International News Association) – Upon returning from his five-month tour of duty in Afghanistan’s southern Helmand Province, the third in line to the British throne, Prince Harry, says he killed Muslims to protect his people.

“Take a life to save a life, that’s what we revolve around,” Harry said.

It is not clear how many people Prince Harry has killed during the Helmand tour, but he has confirmed responsibility for killings.

“If there’s people trying to do bad stuff to our guys, then we’ll take them out of the game,” he said.

Prince Harry, who served as co-pilot gunner, compared killing people from an Apache helicopter to playing video games and described his job as a “joy.”

“It's a joy for me because I’m one of those people that loves playing PlayStation and Xbox, so with my thumbs I like to think I’m probably quite useful,” he said.

The 28-year-old prince was deployed to serve a 20-week mission with NATO forces in Afghanistan shortly after his scandalous nude pictures at a hotel in Las Vegas were published on the Internet, making headlines worldwide.

According to the website icasualties.org, a total of 3,257 US-led troops have lost their lives in Afghanistan since 2001, when the United States and its allies invaded Afghanistan as part of Washington’s so-called war on terror.

The offensive removed the Taliban from power, but insecurity continues to rise across the country, despite the presence of thousands of US-led troops.

Hundreds of foreign soldiers were killed in the war-torn country in 2012 alone.-www.shfaqna.com/English

Source: Press TV

SHAFAQNA (Shia International News Association) -- Britain's Prince Harry has acknowledged that he killed Taliban insurgents on his latest tour of duty in Afghanistan as a crew member of an Apache attack helicopter.

Harry has been serving for four months as a co-pilot gunner (CPG) in southern Helmand province -- considered a Taliban heartland -- and flew on scores of missions with the trigger to rockets, missiles and a 30mm cannon at his fingertips.

No one is saying how many insurgents Harry might have killed but toward the end of his deployment, the 28-year-old, known to his comrades as Captain Wales, shared some of his feelings about combat with reporters while on duty in the massive military base known as Camp Bastion. He said it was sometimes justified to "take a life to save a life. That's what we revolve around, I suppose."

Harry explained how the roles of Apaches and CPGs have changed since his previous deployments in 2007 and 2008. "It used to be very much: front seat, you're firing the whole time.

"Now, yes we fire when we have to but essentially we're more of a deterrent than anything else.

"Our job out here is to make sure the guys are safe on the ground and if that means shooting someone who is shooting at them, then we will do it," said the prince, third in line to the British throne.

"It's not the reason I decided to do this job. The reason to do this job was to get back out here, and carry on with a job."

Away from his helicopter, the prince mixed freely on base, eating in the canteen with everyone else and relaxing by playing video games with others in the 130-strong 662 Squadron, 3 Regiment Army Air Corps (AAC). With those comrades, he was just "one of the guys."

In contrast to his privileged upbringing in palaces and an education at Eton College, the prince lived in a shared room within shipping containers converted into an accommodation block. He said he was free to stroll around the base, to visit the gym or the laundry. "It's completely normal," Harry added.

But he said he still received unwanted attention in more public places. "For me it's not that normal because I go into the cookhouse and everyone has a good old gawp, and that's one thing that I dislike about being here," he said.

"Because there's plenty of guys in there that have never met me, therefore look at me as Prince Harry and not as Captain Wales, which is frustrating.

"Which is probably another reason why I'd love to be out in the PBs (patrol bases), away from it all.

"But yeah, it's completely normal. It's as normal as it's going to get. I'm one of the guys. I don't get treated any differently."

His deployment meant he could step back from the public eye, although he said his father, the heir to the British throne Prince Charles, often reminded him of his position. Harry admitted he had "let himself and his family down" when he was photographed naked at a party in a Las Vegas hotel last year.

He also expressed frustration about the media. Referring to the TV producer whom he was addressing, he said: "I never wanted you guys to be out here, but there was an agreement made to invite you out on the deal that the media didn't speculate before my deployment. That's the only reason you guys are out here."

Harry appeared happier talking about his military role: building up the Afghan National Army, the ANA, so it can eventually take over.

"It's great to see the ANA taking more of a lead in things as well. And the professionalism is definitely shining through."

That's something his superiors in the army might say of the prince himself. www.shafaqna.com/English

SHAFAQNA (Shia International News Association) -- Prince Harry, or Captain Wales as he is known in the army, has finished a four-month tour of Afghanistan. He describes what life has been like living at Camp Bastion, where he has been serving as an Apache helicopter pilot and gunner with 662 Sqd Army Air Corpswww.shafaqna.com/English

SHAFAQNA (Shia International News Association) – Britain's Prince Harry has acknowledged that he killed Taliban insurgents on his latest tour of duty in Afghanistan as a crew member of an Apache attack helicopter.

Harry has been serving for four months as a co-pilot gunner (CPG) in southern Helmand province -- considered a Taliban heartland -- and flew on scores of missions with the trigger to rockets, missiles and a 30mm cannon at his fingertips.

No one is saying how many insurgents Harry might have killed but toward the end of his deployment, the 28-year-old, known to his comrades as Captain Wales, shared some of his feelings about combat with reporters while on duty in the massive military base known as Camp Bastion. He said it was sometimes justified to "take a life to save a life. That's what we revolve around, I suppose."

Harry explained how the roles of Apaches and CPGs have changed since his previous deployments in 2007 and 2008. "It used to be very much: front seat, you're firing the whole time.

"Now, yes we fire when we have to but essentially we're more of a deterrent than anything else.

"Our job out here is to make sure the guys are safe on the ground and if that means shooting someone who is shooting at them, then we will do it," said the prince, third in line to the British throne.

"It's not the reason I decided to do this job. The reason to do this job was to get back out here, and carry on with a job."

Away from his helicopter, the prince mixed freely on base, eating in the canteen with everyone else and relaxing by playing video games with others in the 130-strong 662 Squadron, 3 Regiment Army Air Corps (AAC). With those comrades, he was just "one of the guys."

In contrast to his privileged upbringing in palaces and an education at Eton College, the prince lived in a shared room within shipping containers converted into an accommodation block. He said he was free to stroll around the base, to visit the gym or the laundry. "It's completely normal," Harry added.

But he said he still received unwanted attention in more public places. "For me it's not that normal because I go into the cookhouse and everyone has a good old gawp, and that's one thing that I dislike about being here," he said.

Opinion: Cheeky Harry vs. dull brother William

"Because there's plenty of guys in there that have never met me, therefore look at me as Prince Harry and not as Captain Wales, which is frustrating.

"Which is probably another reason why I'd love to be out in the PBs (patrol bases), away from it all.

"But yeah, it's completely normal. It's as normal as it's going to get. I'm one of the guys. I don't get treated any differently."

His deployment meant he could step back from the public eye, although he said his father, the heir to the British throne Prince Charles, often reminded him of his position. Harry admitted he had "let himself and his family down" when he was photographed naked at a party in a Las Vegas hotel last year.

Harry appeared happier talking about his military role: building up the Afghan National Army, the ANA, so it can eventually take over.

"It's great to see the ANA taking more of a lead in things as well. And the professionalism is definitely shining through."

That's something his superiors in the army might say of the prince himself.-www.shfaqna.com/English

SHAFAQNA (Shia International News Association) - Britian's Prince Harry has reportedly been involved in his first Taliban kill.

U.K. media reports the 27-year-old Apache helicopter co-pilot was on patrol in late October tracking a Taliban leader when his gunship fired a 45-kilogram Hellfire missile, striking its target.

No other details of the attack were available.

Capt. Harry Wales, who is said to be called "Big H" by his fellow soldiers, is stationed in Helmand, Afghanistan, and is on his second tour of duty.

The U.K. Sun reports that Harry is a front-seat co-pilot and mans the helicopter's main weapons.

He was honoured for being the best co-pilot gunner after his 18 months of intense training in 2011 on the Apache, which is used to track and kill Taliban fighters and gather intelligence. It is equipped with night-vision systems and uses Rolls Royce engines.

Harry is also a trained tank commander.

The prince's first tour of duty was in 2008 when he was quietly deployed with the Household Calvary for a 77-day stint.

He was pulled out after it was reported that he was serving in Afghanistan and the Taliban vowed to kidnap or kill him.

He returned to Afghanistan this year.

His role in the deadly offensive is sure to help him shake a reputation and a "party prince," a title the youngest son of Charles, Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales earned after being photographed on a boozy naked romp in Las Vegas earlier this year.- www.shfaqna.com/English

Source: Torontosun