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Prince Harry will serve in Iraq: army chief

Richard Norton-Taylor

London: Prince Harry will be deployed with his unit to Iraq, Sir Richard Dannatt, the head of the army, made clear on Monday in a move designed to end speculation that the Prince would not go despite his wish to do so.

Controversy about his deployment to southern Iraq this month with his regiment, the Blues and Royals, has been fuelled by the deaths of 12 British troops killed by militias in April, the worst month since the invasion of the country four years ago.

But Clarence House (Prince Charles' official residence) has said it will not seek to influence army commanders, who have had to consider the consequences for all British troops who may be exposed to extra danger as a result of the Prince's deployment.

Shia militia leaders have said Prince Harry would be a prime kidnap target in pronouncements denounced by the Ministry of Defence as ``blatant propaganda''.

Constant review

Sir Richard, who first announced in February that Prince Harry would serve in Iraq, said in a statement that he had taken the decision that the Prince would deploy, but the decision would be kept under constant review.

He is believed to have discussed the Prince's deployment regularly with the royal family. The Blues and Royals, part of the Household Cavalry, are part of 1 Mechanised Brigade, to be deployed in southern Iraq this month.

Their normal role is to carry out reconnaissance with Scimitar armoured cars. Friends of the 22-year-old Prince have said to the BBC that he would be ``very disappointed'' if he was not allowed to go to Iraq but that he would stay in the army. —

© Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006

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