Odd to begin with this - but I've been talking about it since I woke at 8am this morning. Tony Blair announced that our troops will begin leaving Iraq in the next few weeks, and the UK has been assured all our soldiers will have vacated that country by next year: 2008. Yes - that really does make me happy - beyond the obvious reasons of lessening the armed chaos in the Middle East. My friend Jonathan was afraid his older brother was going to be assigned a second tour this spring. Now that seems unlikely. A relief...if it wasnt so early I'd have a drink to celebrate!But I guess there have been other papers reporting that Prince Harry is set to begin a tour of Iraq. And that the small group he leads refers to him as a "Bullet Magnet". What a frightening scenario that is for all involved! Poor Harry - it seems he was advised against going to Iraq - and had the option of reassignment - but a pride to serve with the men he has trained keeps him from backing down. I admire that "I'll be like the common people" resolve, but its true that if a prince is known to be in an area, any man, woman or child within a mile is in more danger. Its putting an easy symbolic target - and potentially tragic death for our country into an already boiling-over pot.
