UK Calls Iraq Withdrawal Days after Prince Harry Deployment Revealed. How Long Would it Take Bush if the Twins Enlisted?
News of Britain's Iraq troop withdrawal comes just days after it was announced that Prince Harry might be deployed. Coincidence? Maybe, Maybe not.
The war is already vastly unpopular in Britain. Many experts believe Prime Minister Tony Blair's decision to join the invasion cost him big politically and may have prompted his pending retirement from government.
But, despite the 132 current British casualties, there would be serious hell to pay if Prince Harry was wounded or killed in combat. As a national figure and third in line to the throne (after his father and older brother, William, who is also a soldier but not allowed to be sent into combat), Harry's anticipated deployment had been causing a buzz all weekend. Even senior military commanders are apprehensive about possible his combat service.
The list of American VIPs in Iraq is few and far between. There are a few children of politicians serving, but the media rarely touches those stories. By our count, the only American who was famous before dying in the Middle East was former football star Pat Tillman. After that, Democratic Senator Max Baucus' nephew was our only casualty nationally notable for who he was.
A recent story detailed how small towns in America are bearing the emotional scars of the war in Iraq. Nearly half of casualties come from towns where fewer than 25,000 people live; one in five are from hometowns of less than 5,000. These tight-knit communities are more likely to be personally affected by such terrible loss and see first-hand the costs of war. Though every life is equally important, national figures like Pat Tillman and Prince Harry allow everyone to feel more connected.
http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/analysis/184
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