Duke ‘exploited’ veterans’ suicides to limit damage of kill count claim
Senior military figures criticise Prince Harry as he denies boasting about killing Taliban fighters
THE Duke of Sussex has been accused of “exploiting” military veterans’ suicides in a “desperate attempt at damage limitation” after revealing how many Taliban he killed while in Afghanistan.
Prince Harry has been criticised by senior military figures for writing in his memoir, Spare, that he had killed 25 insurgents. Many said he had jeopardised his own security and that of others.
Asked about the negative reaction, the Duke told a US chat show his aim was to give veterans the “space” to be honest and to share their experiences without shame. “My whole goal and my attempt with sharing that detail is to reduce the number of suicides,” he said.
He denied “boasting” about the figure and blamed the media for taking the comment out of context and turning it into “the most dangerous lie that they have told” by elevating his security risk.
However, Colonel Richard Kemp, former commander of British forces in Afghanistan, told The Daily Telegraph: “I think it is extremely cynical to exploit veterans’ suicides to excuse the comments he made on Afghanistan now they have received such a backlash from so many veterans. His explanation might have been more credible if he’d included it in his book. Instead, this looks like a desperate attempt at damage limitation. To blame others for the dangers he has brought on himself with his remarks is part of a pattern of refusing to take responsibility for his own actions.”
Tobias Ellwood, chairman of the defence select committee, said: “When we speak about the professionalism of UK forces, it’s not just about our combat effectiveness but how we conduct ourselves in the aftermath of battle.
“We treat our adversaries with respect and that includes treating prisoners of war according to international law, caring for those who are injured and proper burials for the dead.
“Killing is never the primary objective and I’d encourage Prince Harry to clarify his comments.”
The Duke told Stephen Colbert on The Late Show that he faced an increased security threat not because of his revelation, but because of the media coverage. “That is a choice they [the media] have made,” he said. “If I heard anyone boasting about that kind of thing, I would be angry. But it’s a lie.”
The English language edition of Spare sold more than 1.4 million copies on its first day of release, its publisher has announced. It is already the fastest selling non-fiction book ever.