Britain's Prince Harry in an Apache attack helicopter in Afghanistan, where he says he killed 25 Taliban insurgents. AP
Britain's Prince Harry in an Apache attack helicopter in Afghanistan, where he says he killed 25 Taliban insurgents. AP
Britain's Prince Harry in an Apache attack helicopter in Afghanistan, where he says he killed 25 Taliban insurgents. AP
Britain's Prince Harry in an Apache attack helicopter in Afghanistan, where he says he killed 25 Taliban insurgents. AP

Prince Harry 'betrayed' British Army as 'kill list' claim riles Taliban


Thomas Harding
  • English
  • Arabic

Prince Harry has “betrayed the fighting ethos” of the British Army and is “pathetic” for disclosing that he killed 25 Taliban fighters in Afghanistan, senior officers told The National.

The British royal has raised the terrorism threat against himself and his family by boasting about the deaths in his autobiography, Spare, they said.

He has also given a false portrayal of the British military training by dehumanising the enemy in referring to them as “chess pieces”, the officers said.

This came as a leading Taliban figure, who was part of a negotiating team that dealt with the US before the fall of Kabul in 2021, taunted the prince with “defeat” and said his actions were “war crimes”.

“Bragging about how many enemy soldiers you can have killed is simply not what British soldiers do,” a senior officer told The National.

“I, like every British soldier serving or veteran, am hugely disappointed that Prince Harry has betrayed the fighting ethos of the British Army.”

It is understood that UK counter-terrorist officers will now examine the security risk the disclosures bring, with the Home Office likely to review its decision to withdraw Prince Harry’s close protection when in Britain.

“He has rekindled the threat against him,” said Col Richard Kemp, who commanded British forces in Afghanistan in 2003. “Maybe their memories had faded but this will certainly resurrect the desire of some people to take revenge against him.”

A former commanding officer of the Coldstream Guards said that it was a pity that Prince Harry “was not a little more circumspect” in sharing his war experiences.

“His unique position demands that he considers the consequences of what he writes more thoughtfully than others,” he told The National. “What he says and does is more closely scrutinised than are the words and actions of a soldier.”

Former police superintendent Bill Duff, who also served in the British Army, told The National that Prince Harry had “made himself a target”, adding that it was a “stupid, stupid” statement to make.

He said that the disclosure was “quite pathetic”.

Taliban backlash

Prince Harry's comparison of insurgents with chess pieces was condemned by senior Taliban leader and negotiator Anas Haqqani on Twitter.

“The ones you killed were not chess pieces, they were humans; they had families who were waiting for their return,” he wrote.

“Among the killers of Afghans, not many have your decency to reveal their conscience and confess to their war crimes.

“The truth is what you’ve said: Our innocent people were chess pieces to your soldiers, military and political leaders.”

An officer who is supposed to be above the more base instincts of people should be a little bit more reserved and not talk about the killings as if he was on a grouse shoot
Simon Barry,
retired colonel, Parachute Regiment

There had been concerns for the Duke of Sussex’s security after his two operational tours of Afghanistan in 2007 and 2012, the latter when he flew an Apache attack helicopter.

In Spare he graphically described how the gunship’s nose camera recorded missions, which included the Taliban killings.

He regarded the insurgents as “chess pieces removed from the board” and said the army trained him to think it was not possible to kill someone “if you see them as a person”.

A display for Prince Harry's memoir Spare in a shop window in London. It goes on sale on January 10. Getty
A display for Prince Harry's memoir Spare in a shop window in London. It goes on sale on January 10. Getty

The gunship footage provided him “with exactness how many enemy combatants I had killed … so my number is 25. It’s not a number that fills me with satisfaction, but nor does it embarrass me”.

Retired colonel Simon Barry, who commanded a Parachute Regiment battalion, also condemned the revelations.

“I would expect an officer who is supposed to be above the more base instincts of people should be a little bit more reserved and not talk about the killings as if he was on a grouse shoot.”

He added that the claims would assist the Taliban, who were “now playing as victims of royal murderers, which is not really helpful”, which “allows deflection from their true activities and atrocities”.

“Bragging about confirmed kills has never existed in the British Army,” he said.

Mr Duff said he had known a lot of British special forces soldiers who had been in Iraq and Afghanistan, but “I haven't heard a single one of them boasting about the numbers of people that they've killed”.

Col Kemp described the detailed account as “somewhat distasteful” adding that “officers, in particular, are supposed to be setting an example and that doesn’t amount to seeking glory in killing people”.

He also suggested that it was incorrect for Prince Harry to state that the British Army trained soldiers to see the enemy “as less than human” or to “view them as just being chess pieces to be knocked over”.

“This simply isn't true and if that was true it would encourage actions that contravene the laws of armed conflict,” he said.

“Our actual training is the opposite to what he suggests. In addition, if people are killed they have to be treated respectfully and given a proper burial.”

The officers suggested part of the motivation behind the disclosure may be to ensure that Prince Harry has his royal protection officers restored.

Prince Harry and Meghan Duchess of Sussex through the years - in pictures

  • Doria Ragland, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, attend the Ms Foundation Women of Vision Awards in New York City. Getty
    Doria Ragland, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, attend the Ms Foundation Women of Vision Awards in New York City. Getty
  • Prince Harry and his wife Meghan attend a basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Memphis Grizzlies in Los Angeles in April. Getty
    Prince Harry and his wife Meghan attend a basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Memphis Grizzlies in Los Angeles in April. Getty
  • The royal couple speak onstage at the Robert F Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Gala in New York in December 2022. Getty
    The royal couple speak onstage at the Robert F Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Gala in New York in December 2022. Getty
  • Prince Harry and Meghan watch as the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is placed into the hearse following the state funeral service at Westminster Abbey in central London in September 2022. AP
    Prince Harry and Meghan watch as the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is placed into the hearse following the state funeral service at Westminster Abbey in central London in September 2022. AP
  • Prince Harry and Meghan pay their respects at the Palace of Westminster. Getty
    Prince Harry and Meghan pay their respects at the Palace of Westminster. Getty
  • Prince Harry, Meghan and Kate, Princess of Wales, attend a service for the reception of Queen Elizabeth's coffin at Westminster Hall. AFP
    Prince Harry, Meghan and Kate, Princess of Wales, attend a service for the reception of Queen Elizabeth's coffin at Westminster Hall. AFP
  • The Princess of Wales, Prince William, Prince Harry and Meghan meet members of the public outside Windsor Castle. Getty
    The Princess of Wales, Prince William, Prince Harry and Meghan meet members of the public outside Windsor Castle. Getty
  • Prince Harry and Meghan leave after a service of thanksgiving for the queen. Getty
    Prince Harry and Meghan leave after a service of thanksgiving for the queen. Getty
  • Prince Harry and Meghan at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York in September 2021. AP
    Prince Harry and Meghan at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York in September 2021. AP
  • Prince Harry and Meghan on the cover of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world edition, in September 2021. Reuters
    Prince Harry and Meghan on the cover of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world edition, in September 2021. Reuters
  • Prince Harry and Meghan are interviewed by Oprah Winfrey in March 2021. Reuters
    Prince Harry and Meghan are interviewed by Oprah Winfrey in March 2021. Reuters
  • Prince Harry and Meghan shared this image on social media in February 2021 to announce they were expecting their second child. AFP
    Prince Harry and Meghan shared this image on social media in February 2021 to announce they were expecting their second child. AFP
  • Prince Harry and Meghan visit Canada House, London, in January 2020. Getty
    Prince Harry and Meghan visit Canada House, London, in January 2020. Getty
  • Prince Harry and Meghan visit Auwal Mosque on Heritage Day during their royal tour of South Africa in September 2019. Getty
    Prince Harry and Meghan visit Auwal Mosque on Heritage Day during their royal tour of South Africa in September 2019. Getty
  • Prince Harry, Meghan and their son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor in South Africa in September 2019. Getty
    Prince Harry, Meghan and their son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor in South Africa in September 2019. Getty
  • Prince Harry and Meghan meet Beyonce Knowles-Carter and Jay-Z at the European Premiere of Disney's The Lion King at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square, London, in July 2019. Getty
    Prince Harry and Meghan meet Beyonce Knowles-Carter and Jay-Z at the European Premiere of Disney's The Lion King at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square, London, in July 2019. Getty
  • Prince Harry and Meghan pose for a photo with the New York Yankees before their baseball game against the Boston Red Sox at London Stadium in June 2019. Getty
    Prince Harry and Meghan pose for a photo with the New York Yankees before their baseball game against the Boston Red Sox at London Stadium in June 2019. Getty
  • Prince Harry and Meghan pose with their newborn son Archie in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle in May 2019. Getty
    Prince Harry and Meghan pose with their newborn son Archie in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle in May 2019. Getty
  • Meghan, joined by her mother Ms Ragland, shows her new son to Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip at Windsor Castle in May 2019. AP
    Meghan, joined by her mother Ms Ragland, shows her new son to Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip at Windsor Castle in May 2019. AP
  • Prince Harry and Meghan officially open Number 7, a Feeding Birkenhead citizen’s supermarket and community cafe in Merseyside in January 2019. Getty
    Prince Harry and Meghan officially open Number 7, a Feeding Birkenhead citizen’s supermarket and community cafe in Merseyside in January 2019. Getty
  • Prince William, the Princess of Wales, Meghan and Prince Harry attend a Christmas Day church service at the Church of St Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham estate in December 2018. Getty
    Prince William, the Princess of Wales, Meghan and Prince Harry attend a Christmas Day church service at the Church of St Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham estate in December 2018. Getty
  • Prince William, Prince Harry, Meghan and the Duchess of Cambridge attend a service marking the centenary of the First World War armistice at Westminster Abbey in November 2018. Getty
    Prince William, Prince Harry, Meghan and the Duchess of Cambridge attend a service marking the centenary of the First World War armistice at Westminster Abbey in November 2018. Getty
  • Prince Harry and Meghan visit Redwoods Tree Walk in October 2018 in Rotorua, New Zealand. Getty
    Prince Harry and Meghan visit Redwoods Tree Walk in October 2018 in Rotorua, New Zealand. Getty
  • Prince Harry and Meghan visit an exhibition of Tongan handicrafts at the Fa'onelua Convention Centre in October 2018 in Nuku'alofa, Tonga. Getty
    Prince Harry and Meghan visit an exhibition of Tongan handicrafts at the Fa'onelua Convention Centre in October 2018 in Nuku'alofa, Tonga. Getty
  • Prince Harry and Meghan visit the University of the South Pacific in October 2018 in Suva, Fiji. Getty
    Prince Harry and Meghan visit the University of the South Pacific in October 2018 in Suva, Fiji. Getty
  • Prince Harry and Meghan address the public during a Community Event at Victoria Park in October 2018 in Dubbo, Australia. Getty
    Prince Harry and Meghan address the public during a Community Event at Victoria Park in October 2018 in Dubbo, Australia. Getty
  • Prince Harry and Meghan meet a koala during a visit to Taronga Zoo in October 2018 in Sydney, Australia. Getty
    Prince Harry and Meghan meet a koala during a visit to Taronga Zoo in October 2018 in Sydney, Australia. Getty
  • Prince Harry and Meghan arrive at the University of Chichester's Engineering and Digital Technology Park during an official visit to West Sussex in October 2018. Getty
    Prince Harry and Meghan arrive at the University of Chichester's Engineering and Digital Technology Park during an official visit to West Sussex in October 2018. Getty
  • The queen, Meghan, Prince Harry, Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge watch the RAF 100th anniversary fly-past from the balcony of Buckingham Palace in July 2018. Getty
    The queen, Meghan, Prince Harry, Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge watch the RAF 100th anniversary fly-past from the balcony of Buckingham Palace in July 2018. Getty
  • Prince Harry and Meghan on their wedding day in May 2018. Getty
    Prince Harry and Meghan on their wedding day in May 2018. Getty
  • Prince Harry places a wedding ring on his new wife's finger. Getty
    Prince Harry places a wedding ring on his new wife's finger. Getty
  • Meghan and Prince Harry head to their evening wedding reception at Frogmore House. Getty
    Meghan and Prince Harry head to their evening wedding reception at Frogmore House. Getty
  • Prince Harry and Meghan walk through the corridors of the Palace of Holyroodhouse on their way to a reception for young people at the Palace in February 2018 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Getty
    Prince Harry and Meghan walk through the corridors of the Palace of Holyroodhouse on their way to a reception for young people at the Palace in February 2018 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Getty
  • Prince Harry and his then-fiancee Meghan visit Nottingham for their first official public engagement together in December 2017. Getty
    Prince Harry and his then-fiancee Meghan visit Nottingham for their first official public engagement together in December 2017. Getty
UAE v Gibraltar

What: International friendly

When: 7pm kick off

Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City

Admission: Free

Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page

UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)

The White Lotus: Season three

Creator: Mike White

Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell

Rating: 4.5/5

Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

New Zealand 15 British & Irish Lions 15

New Zealand 15
Tries: Laumape, J Barrett
Conversions: B Barrett
Penalties: B Barrett

British & Irish Lions 15
Penalties: Farrell (4), Daly

Milestones on the road to union

1970

October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar. 

December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.

1971

March 1:  Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.

July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.

July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.

August 6:  The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.

August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.

September 3: Qatar becomes independent.

November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.

November 29:  At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.

November 30: Despite  a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa. 

November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties

December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.

December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.

'The Batman'

Stars:Robert Pattinson

Director:Matt Reeves

Rating: 5/5

Jurassic%20Park
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Europe’s rearming plan
  • Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
  • Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
  • Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
  • Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
  • Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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Election pledges on migration

CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections" 

SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom" 

Indoor cricket in a nutshell

Indoor Cricket World Cup – Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai

16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side

8 There are eight players per team

There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.

5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls

Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership

Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.

Zones

A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs

B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run

Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs

Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full

Updated: January 06, 2023, 3:19 PM