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Prince Harry is to be withdrawn from Afghanistan after news of his secret deployment leaked out.

The 23-year-old royal, who has spent the last 10 weeks serving in Helmand Province, is to be flown back to the UK amid concerns for his safety.

The move follows the collapse of a news blackout deal over his tour of duty, which was broken by foreign media.

There had been fears the prince, who is third in line to the throne, could become a target for the Taleban.

In a statement, the Ministry of Defence described the reporting of Harry's deployment by foreign media as "regrettable" but said that contingency plans for such a leak were in place.


More recently he took part in a major operation to disrupt Taleban lines of communication
Brigadier Andrew Mackay

It added that while the prince should have returned "in a matter of weeks" with his Household Cavalry regiment battlegroup, the situation had now "clearly changed".

Brigadier Andrew Mackay, Commander of Task Force Helmand, said Harry had been "deployed in the field, conducting operations against the Taleban" at the time of the decision.

He continued: "He has seen service both in the south of Helmand and in the north. More recently he took part in a major operation to disrupt Taleban lines of communication."

'Risks'

Chief of the Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, in consultation with head of the Army, General Sir Richard Dannatt, had taken the final decision to withdraw Harry immediately, the statement said.

"This decision has been taken primarily on the basis that the worldwide media coverage of Prince Harry in Afghanistan could impact on the security of those who are deployed there, as well as the risks to him as an individual soldier," it added.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown paid tribute to the prince and said Britain owed him a "debt of gratitude" for his service in Afghanistan, but he added that it was correct to bring Harry back to the UK.

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Prince Harry is a trained soldier. I'm in the service too and I'm pleased for him that he was allowed to go

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"Security considerations come first. That has been the deciding factor which was made by our defence staff and I think that everybody will respect that is the right decision."

He thanked Harry, a second lieutenant, for the "professionalism and dedication he has shown", and said the decision to bring him home was a reminder of the "difficulties and challenges" the armed forces faced on active duty.

Conservative leader David Cameron agreed that it was "right" to withdraw the prince from Afghanistan, but said everyone in Britain should be "proud of what he has done".

"It's incredibly tough out there. He's obviously shown great courage and bravery as all our soldiers do out there.

"And what they do is really important, not just for the future of Afghanistan but for the safety of our country too."

'Dangerous tasks'

A member of the Household Cavalry, Prince Harry was based in a former madrassa along with a Gurkha regiment.

Work involved calling up allied air cover in support of ground forces and going out on foot patrols.

Defence Secretary Des Browne also commended Harry, saying the prince was "an example of a generation of young people" who were "prepared to take on these very serious and dangerous tasks for our security".

The Queen, opening the Queen's Court Care Home in Windsor, said she believed he had done "a good job in a very difficult climate".


THE EDITORS' BLOG
Editors' blog
A news black-out is unusual, but not unique
Jon Williams,
World news editor, BBC News

Jon's comments in full

The prince's deployment was subject to a news blackout deal struck between the MoD and newspapers and broadcasters in the UK and abroad.

It is understood that the news was first leaked in an Australian publication in January but only after it appeared on the influential US website, The Drudge Report, did the deal break down.

In exchange for not reporting the prince's deployment, some media organisations were granted access to the prince in Afghanistan for interviews and filming.

The prince's withdrawal is the second major blow to his army career.

Last year, a planned tour to Iraq had to be cancelled at the last minute because of a security risk.

Cpl Kendall wrote:Off to training cadre with you! I wonder if he gets his medal?

Prince Harry has insisted he is not a hero and hailed the "humbling" bravery of his fellow soldiers after flying home early from a tour of Afghanistan.

In a wide-ranging interview, he spoke of the experience as among the happiest of his life and of his desire to return to the front line "very, very soon".

He also suggested a precedent may have been set enabling his brother, Prince William, to see active operations.

Harry's tour of duty was cut short after a media blackout broke down.

The leak led to fears he would be targeted by the Taleban and he was returned to the UK after 10 weeks.

On Saturday, he landed at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, where he was met by Prince Charles and Prince William.

Serving country

Speaking moments after his arrival, he dismissed the label, emphasising instead: "The bravery of the guys out there was humbling."


I'm looking forward to having a bath... but no, I would like to have stayed back with the guys
Prince Harry

No quick return for Harry
In pictures: Out on patrol

"I wouldn't say I'm a hero," he said.

"There were two injured guys who came back on the plane with us who were essentially comatose throughout the whole way...those are the heroes, those were guys who had been blown up by a mine that they had no idea about, serving their country, doing a normal patrol.

"I was a bit shocked ...it is a bit of a choke in your throat because you know that it's happening.

"There's a lot of time when you are actually in theatre it isn't even mentioned that much."

He also talked about the rigours of his job and his role fighting the Taleban.

Adrenalin

"You do what you have to do, what's necessary to save your own guys. If you need to drop a bomb, worst case scenario, then you will, but then that's just the way it is.

"It's not nice to drop bombs and give that position to people to have to do but as I say, to save lives that's what happens."

Looking tired after the flight from Helmand Province, he also revealed he first realised his tour was being abruptly curtailed by overhearing coded radio messages about him.

Prince Harry tells two Afghan men the route around an army cordon
Harry relished the anonymity of living and working in the desert

He described his men as "gutted" by his departure but said he had fulfilled his dream of serving as a tank troop leader.

Harry said he was disappointed publicity from foreign media had ended his tour and praised the British media for keeping the secret of his deployment as long as it did.

"I was surprised by the way the British media kept to their side of the bargain. I hate to say it but, no, I'm very grateful for that and thanks to all the British media for keeping their mouths shut."

Taleban stronghold

He went on: "But I'm back here now and I suppose deep down inside it's quite nice, I'm looking forward to having a bath... but no, I would like to have stayed back with the guys."

Asked about his future, Harry, 23, said he would discuss the options with his commanding officer, but had no plans to quit the Army.


In operations you are kept on your toes the whole time, that's what guys join up for I guess, that adrenalin
Prince Harry

"I hope this has now been proven that the system can work and the British press go along with the deal, everything in place has proved that it can actually work," he said. "So I don't see why it can't work again.

"Hopefully for my brother as well, there's a possibility that it can work."

Harry said he would "love to go back out" to Afghanistan and had already told senior officers he wanted to return "very, very soon".

Prince Harry eats breakfast in the desert of Helmand Province
The prince said rank took a back seat in the challenging environment

"Once you are back from operations everything is a bit of an anti-climax, you go back to your unit and there you are, day-in day-out, the same routine, nothing changes and that's the way it is, nothing changes.

"At least in operations then you are kept on your toes the whole time, that's what guys join up for I guess, that adrenalin."

But The Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, said that any future deployments by the Prince would depend on the risk he posed to those serving alongside him.

"I would have to be clear that the the risks to the operation in the widest sense of the people deployed on that operation would be no higher than they would normally be in such circumstances," he told Sky News's Sunday Live programme.

'Hugely grateful'

The prince said that he had been in the desert close to the former Taleban stronghold of Musa Qaleh when the story broke.

Having taken part in an operation commanding a Spartan light tank with C Squadron of the Household Cavalry earlier this month, Harry had just taken over from his troop leader who had gone home for a two-week break.

He hailed his fellow soldiers as "a really good bunch of guys", adding: "Once you are out in the middle of the desert and all you depend on is one another, to look out for each other, then it comes down to the fact you are mates, all ranks aside, you are mates and you look out for each other."

Asked if it had been one of the happiest times in his life, he said: "Yes probably. It was fantastic ... I was hugely grateful for having the opportunity.

"I enjoyed being out there, every element had something different about it but actually being out in the middle of nowhere, with the stars out, is just a fantastic place to be."

LadyTevar wrote:Hopefully he can continue to grow out of the 'party toff' image. Military life settles people down, they say.

After you've been in a few years. Most junior officers and NCO's are frat boys without a frat. And Harry is a very junior officer.

As the nominal commander in chief of the British military, Her Majesty knows how to march and how to fix a flat tire. They say that before one can give orders, one must learn to take orders.

The Queen is well qualified to give orders. So are her sons. Her next-in-line, Prince Charles, served in the military. Prince Andrew served in the Falklands War.

Now her two grandsons are also qualified, with Prince Harry seeing combat in Afghanistan for 10 weeks. He would have served a full term if it weren't for Matt Drudge, who blew the prince's cover in the Drudge Report last week.

frigidmagi wrote: I think that very much so depends on the military in question. I would not call NCOs of the USMC frat boys and most officers managed if barely to avoid being that useless.