In connection with Prince Harry’s discussion of his military exploits in his new memoir, “Spare,” some are calling for an investigation and possible prosecution.
Harry’s admission that he had killed 25 people during his military missions in Afghanistan caught everyone’s attention in particular. After the media obtained a copy of the book’s Spanish-language edition last week, it was already generating headlines before it was formally launched on Tuesday.
According to multiple news outlets, including The Guardian, the Duke of Sussex who was a gunner copilot in an Apache attack helicopter during his second tour in Afghanistan in 2012, he explained that he knew the precise number because the aircraft he flew had was equipped with cameras.
In an Associated Press article, some people in the country are demanding that King Charles’ younger son be tried for war crimes in reaction to the allegation. Now, reports said that in the southern part of the country, the incident prompted about 20 protesters to gather Sunday at a university in Helmand province. Some carried posters of Harry, his image blotted out with a red “X,” as the news agency said.
Mullah Abdullah said that four of his family members were killed in a U.K. accident. airstrike on his residence in 2011, as reported by the AP.
He said, “We ask the international community to put this person (Prince Harry) on trial, and we should get compensation for our losses.”
Similar opinions were voiced by certain people even within his own country.
“Given that the #US #NATO War on #Afghanistan was totally illegal and destroyed the lives of millions of innocent people, how come there’s no call from Mainstream Media + Politicians to have this despicable individual Prince Harry tried for War Crimes…?” A Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Ireland, Mick Wallace tweeted.
Given that the #US #NATO War on #Afghanistan
was totally illegal and destroyed the lives of millions of innocent people, how come there’s no call from Mainstream Media + Politicians to have this despicable individual Prince Harry tried for War Crimes…?https://t.co/wDi1nwRKh2— Mick Wallace (@wallacemick) January 5, 2023
In making revelations that were virtually guaranteed to attract negative attention, others, particularly veterans, were critical of Harry‘s lack of judgment.
Calling the prince’s remarks crass, Col. Tim Collins, a retired member of the British army, was described by the British military news site Forces.net.
“This is not how we 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,” Collins said.
After the “stunning claim” was made public, The Daily Mail reported that Harry appeared to have beefed up his security detail in New York on Monday.
The news outlet reports that “During a visit to Manhattan on Monday for an interview with The Late Show’s Stephen Colbert, Harry was escorted from his hotel by three NYPD detectives in plainclothes and two private bodyguards.”
The comment by Harry comparing “bringing down enemy combatants to removing an opponent’s chess pieces from the board” appears to have sparked the most outrage.
“Mr. Harry! The ones you killed were not chess pieces, they were humans; they had families who were waiting for their return,” Taliban member Anas Haqqani tweeted, in a much-publicized response.
1/3- Mr. Harry! The ones you killed were not chess pieces, they were humans; they had families who were waiting for their return. Among the killers of Afghans, not many have your decency to reveal their conscience and confess to their war crimes. pic.twitter.com/zjDwoDmCN1
— Anas Haqqani(انس حقاني) (@AnasHaqqani313) January 6, 2023
Sources: WesternJournal, TheGuardian, Breitbart, AssociatedPress, Forces.net, DailyMail