Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Harry has turned against military, says ex-commander

Harry has turned against military, says ex-commander

A retired commanding officer has accused Prince Harry of "turning against" his military family after "having trashed his birth family".

In his memoir, the Duke of Sussex describes killing 25 Taliban fighters in Afghanistan as "chess pieces taken off the board".

Ex-colonel Tim Collins said that was "not how you behave in the army".

Prince Harry gives details about his time as a helicopter pilot in Afghanistan in his memoir Spare.

BBC News has obtained a copy of the book after it was put on sale early in Spain.

In it, Prince Harry reveals for the first time that he killed 25 enemy fighters - which is perfectly possible after two tours in the Helmand region of the country.

"It wasn't a statistic that filled me with pride but nor did it make me ashamed," he writes.

"When I was plunged into the heat and confusion of battle, I didn't think about those as 25 people. You can't kill people if you see them as people.

"In truth, you can't hurt people if you see them as people. They were chess pieces taken off the board, bad guys eliminated before they kill good guys.

"They trained me to 'other' them and they trained me well."

Responding to the prince's comments, a senior Taliban leader Anas Haqqani tweeted: "Mr Harry! The ones you killed were not chess pieces, they were humans; they had families who were waiting for their return...

"I don't expect that the (International Criminal Court) will summon you or the human rights activists will condemn you, because they are deaf and blind for you."

Speaking to Forces News, retired-commanding officer Colonel Collins condemned the book by calling it a "tragic money-making scam".

Referring to Prince Harry's revelation that he killed 25 enemy fighters, Col Collins said: "That's not how you behave in the Army; it's not how we think.

"He has badly let the side down. We don't do notches on the rifle butt. We never did."

The ex-colonel, who gained worldwide fame for an eve-of battle speech to troops in Iraq, said: "Harry has now turned against the other family, the military, that once embraced him having trashed his birth family.

He accused Prince Harry of choosing an "alien" path and of "pursuing riches he does not need".

"In the end, I see only disappointment and misery in his pursuit of riches he does not need and his rejection of family and comradely love that he badly needs."

Ex-army officer Col Richard Kemp, who was sent to Kabul in 2003 to take command of forces in Afghanistan, told the BBC it was unusual but he did not have a problem with Prince Harry revealing his kill number.

He said soldiers did talk about people they had killed or wounded privately, sometimes as "a way of almost decompressing after a period of combat".

On referring to killed Taliban insurgents as chess pieces, Col Kemp said such comments could give "propaganda to the enemy".

He added the remarks may have undermined Prince Harry's security and could provoke people to take revenge.

"They're always looking to radicalise people and to recruit people and we've already seen how the Taliban has capitalised on it," he said.

Prince Harry briefly served as a forward air controller on the ground calling in strikes, before flying Apache helicopters in his second longer tour.

The US and its Nato allies invaded in October 2001 to oust the Taliban, who they said were harbouring Osama Bin Laden and other al-Qaeda figures linked to the 9/11 attacks

Ben McBean, who lost an arm and a leg serving with the Royal Marines in Afghanistan and was described by Prince Harry as a hero after the pair met at several events, said the royal needed to "shut up".

He wrote on Twitter: "Love you #PrinceHarry but you need to shut up! Makes you wonder the people he's hanging around with.

"If it was good people somebody by now would have told him to stop."

Another serviceman still serving told the BBC Harry's comments were "very unsoldier-like".

And like many military personnel he said he had no interest in keeping count. More often it is those who write books who seem to take more of an interest in their kill statistics.

Harry in his role as a helicopter pilot would have had a better view than most from his cockpit - seeing individuals up close using sensors and screens.

He would also see the impact of his cannon and hellfire missiles - although clarity would be soon obscured by dust - and he would be able to review footage from the cockpit. But it is not always possible to count bodies on the ground or to distinguish between someone injured or killed.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he would not comment on the appropriateness of the prince's 25 kills claim, but added he was "enormously grateful to our armed forces".

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson, when asked about the prince's kill number, said: "We do not comment on operational details for security reasons."

The Ministry of Defence has declined to comment on Prince Harry's claims


Watch: Colonel Richard Kemp says Harry's comments may "inflame old feelings of revenge"


AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
US Appeals Court Rules Against Most Trump-Era Tariffs
Germany’s Auto Industry Sheds 51,500 Jobs in First Half of 2025 Amid Deepening Crisis
Bruce Willis Relocated Due to Advanced Dementia
French and Korean Nuclear Majors Clash As EU Launches Foreign Subsidy Probe
EU Stands Firm on Digital Rules as Trump Warns of Retaliation
Getting Ready for the 3rd Time in Its History, Germany Approves Voluntary Military Service for Teenagers
Denmark Confronts U.S. Diplomat Over Covert Trump-Linked Influence in Greenland
Trump Demands RICO Charges Against George Soros and Son for Funding Violent Protests
Taylor Swift Announces Engagement to NFL Star Travis Kelce
France May Need IMF Bailout, Warns Finance Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
Ukraine Finally Allows Young Men Aged Eighteen to Twenty-Two to Leave the Country
The Porn Remains, Privacy Disappears: How Britain Broke the Internet in Ten Days
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz: “The Current Welfare State Can No Longer Be Financed”
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
Wizz Air passengers screamed as storm-battered flight diverts to Bologna
European postal services halt U.S. deliveries after Trump imposes new tariffs
Urban explorer finds abandoned luxury restaurant left to decay
Fidesz leader labels Péter Magyar a ‘bluffer’ amid escalating political spat
French rope park operator arrested for denying entry to Israeli children
Újpest thrashes Zalaegerszeg 4-1 to secure first win in five matches
Profit-margin cap costs retailers 13 billion forints a month, warns trade group
Curiosity rover finds coral-like rock on Mars hinting at watery past
U.S. green policy rollback drives investors to Europe’s sustainable finance market
Special funerals rise in Hungary: boat, aerial and forest burials gain popularity
Hungary’s Kiskunság region turning into semi-desert after extreme drought
Kopasz Bálint wins world kayak 1000 m title in Milan, making him triple world champion
Budapest’s Keleti railway station to close for four weeks for track overhaul
Balaton could be unfit for swimming by 2035 and dry by 2050, scientists warn
Leaked guidelines show Meta’s AI allowed flirty and racist interactions with children
Filming of ‘Emily in Paris’ halted after assistant director dies on set
Filipino guest workers sue after Hungary moves to deport them for pregnancy
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
A monster hit and a billion-dollar toy empire
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
Canada: Nurse Suspended and Fined 93 Thousand Dollars After Stating the World’s Most Well-Known Fact Since the Creation of Adam and Eve, That There Are Only Two Genders
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
U.S. Treasury Secretary Whitney Bessent Backs Stablecoins to Boost Treasury Demand
Spain to Declare Disaster Zones After Massive Wildfires
×