Prince Harry accused of boasting about Taliban kills to 'get security'

Prince Harry accused of boasting about Taliban kills to get ‘extra security for himself at the UK taxpayer’s expense’

• Prince Harry has been accused of ‘tactically’ releasing information about kills 
• Some critics suggest he made revelations to boost chances of getting security
• Harry is locked in a legal battle with the Home Office over security in the UK

Prince Harry has been accused of revealing the amount of Taliban soldiers he killed as a means of getting extra security at the taxpayer’s expense.

The Duke of Sussex is locked in an ongoing legal battle with the Home Office over his security detail in the UK. 

Now, critics have suggested Harry may have thought it would benefit his case to detail his exploits during two tours in Afghanistan.

In his memoir Spare, Harry detailed ‘six missions that ended in the taking of human life’, noting they were ‘all deemed justified’ by he and his superiors.

The decision to include such graphic details in his book sparked widespread outrage and even calls in Afghanistan for Harry to be put on trial.

Prince Harry on patrol in the deserted town of Garmsir, southern Afghanistan, in 2008 on the left, and during his deployment in 2012 on the right

The Duke is locked in an ongoing legal battle with the Home Office over his security in the UK. Pictured: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Rotorua, New Zealand, in 2018

Dr Alan Mendoza, from the Henry Jackson Society think tank, told The Sun the comments seem ‘calculated’.

‘Prince Harry’s claims about the number of Taliban he may have killed – whether true or not – seem calculated to achieve just one objective: to secure extra security for himself at the UK taxpayer’s expense.

‘All he has succeeded in doing is to allow a despicable regime a free PR hit in response to his poorly framed comments.’ 

Mawlavi Mohammad Qasim, a media director for the Taliban, sought to capitalise on the details in Harry’s memoir, suggesting they ‘exposed the real face of the Western world’.  

Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams earlier told MailOnline Harry’s admission could be seen as a tactic ‘to get the security he feels he needs when he visits Britain’.

Now, questions are being asked as to whether Harry thought it would benefit his case to detail his exploits during two tours in Afghanistan. Pictured: Prince Harry making early morning pre-flight checks in the cockpit of a helicopter  in 2012

‘It occurred to me that he might be using this highly unusual admission to pressurise the Home Office into granting him what he wants, either to pay for round-the-clock police protection when he is here, or, alternatively, to be favourably assessed for taxpayer funded security which he lost when he and Meghan stepped down as senior working royals.

‘He is challenging the Home Office in court on this issue at the moment, the level of threat is assessed by the Executive Committee for Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec), which falls under the Home Office.’

‘Now it could credibly be claimed there is a new threat.’

The last update in his legal challenge against the Home Office took place in July, when Harry won a bid to bring a High Court claim against the department.

The challenge concerns the February 2020 decision of the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) over his security. 

The decision to include such graphic details in his book sparked widespread outrage and even calls in Afghanistan for Harry to be put on trial. Pictured: Harry sitting in an armoured vehicle in Helmand province in February 2008

At the time, he was told he would no longer be given the ‘same degree’ of personal protective security when visiting. 

The prince’s frank admissions have also made it dangerous for westerners who remained in Kabul. Animal charity boss Pen Farthing revealed on Friday night he’s been forced to flee the city over fears of reprisal attacks. 

Ex-Army chief Colonel Richard Kemp also warned Harry’s admissions could ‘provoke’ pro-Taliban sympathisers ‘to attempt revenge’ against him and possibly ‘incite some people to attempt an attack on British soldiers anywhere in the world’. 

His revelations marked the first time Harry specified the number of insurgents he personally killed during his time in Afghanistan, where he went in both 2007-8 and 2012 and flew an Apache attack helicopter during his second tour. 

In the memoir, Harry acknowledged that many of his fellow soldiers would not be able to say precisely how many people they killed during the war.

Prince Harry pictured alongside an Apache helicopter on October 31, 2012. He revealed in his memoir all of the kills were caught on video, which was later played back and analysed

But he said he made it a priority to keep tally from the moment he arrived, to keep himself accountable and to keep his conscience clear. 

The prince was first deployed to Helmand province as a forward air controller in 2007, but his first tour of duty was cut short when an Australian magazine broke a media embargo by mistake.

Revealed: Text row between Kate and Meghan over bridesmaid fitting 

He returned in 2012 with the Ministry of Defence publicising his second deployment on the understanding that the media would allow him to get on with the job at hand.

After he learnt to fly Apache helicopters, Harry was deployed to Camp Bastion in southern Afghanistan in 2012 where he stayed for 20 weeks.

During his 2012 tour, Harry helped provide helicopter support to the International Security Assistance Force and Afghan forces operating throughout Helmand province.

Based out of Camp Bastion, 662 Squadron Army Air Corps, to which he belonged, flew more than a hundred deliberate missions over 2,500 flying hours, providing surveillance, deterrence and, when required, close combat attack capabilities as well as escort duties for other aircraft.

Captain Wales qualified as a co-pilot gunner in February 2012.

He was posted to 3 Regiment Army Air Corps, part of 16 Air Assault Brigade, to gain further flying experience and to operate the Apache on a number of exercises before deploying to Afghanistan in September 2012.

Harry trained to fly in the front seat as the mission or aircraft commander but the majority of the time operated the Apache’s sights, sensors and weapons systems.

Upon his return to the UK, he was hailed by his colleagues and superiors as being ‘on top of his game’ during the tour.

The Duke of Sussex pictured in Helmand province during his first tour of duty in 2008

He was given no special treatment and worked, ate and slept in the same basic conditions as the other pilots. It was, in his own words, ‘as normal as it’s going to get. I’m one of the guys, I don’t get treated any differently’.

Spare will hit shelves January 10

The Taliban have already taunted Harry and described him as a ‘big mouth loser’ for his revelation.

In the summer of 2021, the Taliban took control of Afghanistan with a lightning offensive that swept across the country in a matter of weeks, overthrowing the Western-backed government that was installed by the US, UK and their allies.

Leaders of the government fled the country as Western coalition forces pulled out, culminating in the collapse of the Afghan military and the Taliban capturing Kabul on August 15, 2021.

Despite promising a more progressive regime than when they were last in power in 2001, the Taliban have eroded the rights of women and minority groups in the country, most recently banning women from attending university – a move that drew fierce condemnation from the international community.

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