The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Insurgent’s Prince Harry claims dismissed by MOD
A SENIOR insurgent’s claims that Prince Harry kills innocent Afghans “while he is drunk” are nothing more than a “seethrough attempt” to undermine progress in Afghanistan, military sources said yesterday.
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, founder and leader of the country’s Hizb-i-Islamia Party, also claimed that foreign forces in Afghanistan have failed.
Hekmatyar, who was designated a terrorist by the US State Department in February 2003, said: “Britain dragged herself into this unjustified, useless but cruel conflict to please the White House.
“The British did not gain anything, instead they lost blood and treasure.
“They never had a positive role in Afghan affairs and they will not have any significance after 2014.
“I don’t understand how the British public accept their children being sent to certain death in order to please A merican generals.”
Of Harry, who is serving in Afghanistan as an A pache helicopter co-pilot gunner, he said: “The British prince comes to Afghanistan to kill innocent Afghans while he is drunk.
“He wants to hunt down Mujahideen with his helicopter’s rockets, without any shame.
“During the Mujahideen’s attack on the A merican base, the prince saw that he was the one about to be hunted and was searching for a hole in which to hide himself.”
A military source yesterday dismissed his claims, saying: “The idea that highly skilled and professional A pache pilots operate drunk is patently ridiculous and completely made up.
“It is nothing more than a see-through attempt to undermine the very real progress being made in Afghanistan.”
Hekmatyar, a former prime minister of Afghanistan, said: “The fact is that the government has failed. The authorities have lost their credibility completely. They have fallen victims to severe internal disputes and seem hopeless and worried.
“The foreign forces have failed and the situation is worsening day by day. We might face a dreadful situation after 2014, which no one could have anticipated.
“A ll A fghan groups should agree on the complete withdrawal of all foreign troops by 2014. Then a free and fair election should be held.
“We will accept the government of whichever party is voted by the majority of the A fghan people.”
He added: “Before the withdrawal of invading forces, the Mujahideen would like to witness with their own eyes a scene that will teach the invaders to never think of coming this way again.”
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: “Now, it is A fghan forces that now have lead security responsibility for around 75% of the population in the country and lead up to 80% of conventional partnered operations.
“It is this sort of progress that has allowed almost 60% of UK bases in Helmand to be shut or handed over and will allow us to leave a stronger more secure Afghanistan when combat operations cease by the end of 2014.”