You do know that if Harry gets killed in Iraq, the war ends.

It's like that long called for stop sign that the neighborhood wants on a dangerous street corner, and it only arrives after a neighborhood kid is killed at that very corner.

"The Hunt for Harry's Killer" it will be a round the clock cable news wargasm for weeks until we give up trying to find the culprits, pull back from Baghdad and the other cities and nuke them to a fine magenta glow.

Certainly the British people would insist on withdrawing all of their country's involvement. But the clinically insane people running our government and driving our national discourse would merely point to it as further evidence that the terrorists don't respect even the Annointed of Our God, justifying prolonging the slaughter and the spending. Always justifying more appropriations and spending.

It's beyond the ability of Congress to do much of anything about this. It's becoming the responsibility of the people to take direct action to derail these madmen.

You think Bush would withdraw all troops because Harry was killed?

with this idiot, he'd nuke Tahiti.

dead Americans.............

Sunnis and Shiites care a whiff?
BushCo?
Don't think so.
This becomes yet another jujitsu reason for BushCo to stay the course. Do it for Harry.

suppose the prince is Tilmaned? We have a bad record of dropping ordinance on the wrong people so it could certainly happen. What would that do to Brit/American relations?

They'd just use him as a propoganda symbol like Jessica Lynch or Pat Tillman to get everyone to "Support the Troops". Can't have Harry die in vain can we?

In any case, any influence would be only on UK involvement; and the UK are already reducing their involvement.

British 'royals' these days have hardly any political influence at home, and none at all internationally.

She still has a profound place in the hearts of many people around the world that transcends the mere fact of royalty.

I mean, I know a lot of people don't dig the royals here (and yeah, the idea of a royal family kind of creeps me out too), but they have been very consistent about serving in the military in wartime; even her majesty served in the womens' corps in WWII. If the war isn't worth a prince's life it's not with a shopkeeper's son's life either, and they know that.

It's part of the noblesse oblige idea that the whole monarchy thing is based on, and I've got to say I give Harry props for wanting to live up to his side of the bargain. Even if the queen or the princes don't have any real authority, these are "Royal" army units there in their names and he's right to say he shouldn't be kept out of the theatre of operations. Now, if you're going to say he can't be patrolling the streets because he'll put his fellows at a higher risk of ambush because he's a high-value target I could listen to that, but saying he can't go to Iraq at all is messed up and frankly I wonder if this flap has a lot to do with the timing of the withdrawl.

You know, the Bushes and Cheneys all had "other priorities" and they're sure as hell not about to send THEIR kids.

Bake

It would seem far more likely that his death would be used as the biggest propaganda tool yet. But I don't think there's any actual legitimacy in reality to the notion that his death would bring a halt to the war. Not by a longshot.

to carry on there.

I wouldn't put it past the BFEE from making that happen, either.

He's commanding tanks. Impressive. My assumption was 0% correct after all.

There'd be so many theories about it, I think it would clog up the Internets tubes.

his truck with a sign accusing Blair of wanting Harry to get killed in Iraq.
Edit: sp. Trying to find a link.

Why was he arrested for that?

or the sounding of the horn when not a part of driving (it's explicitly against the Highway Code to use your horn other than to inform road users of your presence, so the police can stop you for it).

in the UK. "It would be devastating, and the end of the Labour Party."

as a royal he has to go with his contingent of body guards. That ought to be interesting. We all talk about the twins going, but it seems that the same contingent of SS would have to accompany them as well.

I can hear Rove spinning Harry's death now.....

The regime would use it as an excuse to escalate further in Iraq and invade 2 or 3 other countries besides. They have no concern whatsoever for human life, even a prince's. They care about money and power. That's it.