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Prince out of Afghan mission

— Photo: AFP

Prince Harry in body armour in Helmand province in Afghanistan.

LONDON: The British Army on Friday decided to recall Prince Harry from Afghanistan, where he was serving with the U.K. troops, after an unprecedented pact of secrecy between the Ministry of Defence and the media to keep his posting a secret unravelled as the American website, the Drudge Report, leaked the news.

The 23-year-old Prince — the third in line to the British throne —spent 10 weeks on the battlefield in Helmand province and was due to return in April anyway but after the Drudge Report blew his cover the Army decided to recall him immediately amid fears for his safety.

There were fears that he was likely to be a “target” for the Taliban.

The MoD called the leak “regrettable” and said while the Prince was previously due to return “in a matter of weeks” the situation had now “clearly changed”. The decision, it said, was taken by the Chief of the Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, in consultation with head of the Army, General Sir Richard Dannatt.

The Prince was deployed in Afghanistan after plans to send him to Iraq last year collapsed following threats from militant groups. He had threatened to quit the Army if he was not allowed to serve on the frontline.

The Army then struck a deal with the British media that it would not report his deployment until he had completed his tour of duty. In exchange, it was allowed access to him before he left for Afghanistan and during his deployment.

There has been criticism of the media for “collaborating” with the government to impose a blanket news blackout on the Prince’s deployment.

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