Harry's 25 kills in Afghanistan: fierce criticism and his response

The media's coverage
A danger to him and his family
Harry was met with understanding
Criticism
Prince Harry killed 25 'chess pieces'
The precision
Kill Counts
'Cringeworthy' to discuss kill counts
Dehumanising the victims
Bad reaction to calling victims 'chess pieces'
‘Not how you behave in the army’
From one family to the next - a path of destruction?
Riches or love?
The chess pieces were humans
A respected confession?
Decent, yet dangerous
Harry has a 'target on his back'
A question of security
An 'error of judgement'
'Distasteful'
Shocking comments but not surprising?
Did Harry brag about his experiences in war?
Bringing back trauma for many Afghans
So why did Harry share this information?
A dangerous lie being spread by the media?
Applause for Harry's honesty
The media's coverage

The media have had a lot to say about one particular revelation in Prince Harry's memoir, 'Spare'. The Prince has received backlash after stating he killed 25 people while in Afghanistan. In response, he has spoken out about the media's coverage.

A danger to him and his family

In an interview with Late Show talk host Stephen Colbert, Prince Harry said that the media were trying to "strip away the context" of the comments which is endangering himself and his family.

Photo: Netflix

Harry was met with understanding

Stephen Colbert, having read this part of the book, seemed to be very much sympathetic with Harry and backed him up. He said that he thought it was a "very thoughtful description of what that knowledge is like to have."

Criticism

So what media criticism is Harry talking about and what was exactly said in the book?

Prince Harry killed 25 'chess pieces'

Prince Harry revealed in his memoir that he had killed 25 soldiers while in Afghanistan and wrote: "It seemed to me essential not to be afraid of that number. So my number is 25. It’s not a number that fills me with satisfaction, but nor does it embarrass me."

The precision

Soldiers, veterans and other military officials took to social media, reacting to Harry's transparency during his time in the military. One was in complete disbelief that Harry could even work out how many soldiers he had killed.

Kill Counts

According to The Guardian, one para said that the had "never heard anyone talk about kill counts."

'Cringeworthy' to discuss kill counts

The para continued, "...it’s crass and frankly cringeworthy. Taking a life is the most serious thing you can ever do on ops, serious people don’t talk it up as a game to shift a few books."

Dehumanising the victims

It is not just the number that has caused backlash - it is the terminology Harry used which has sparked outrage. In his book he wrote: "When I found myself plunged in the heat and confusion of combat I didn’t think of those 25 as people. They were chess pieces removed from the board. Bad people eliminated before they could kill good people."

Bad reaction to calling victims 'chess pieces'

Harry’s military connections had strong words to say. Harry likening his targets to removing ‘chess pieces’ from a board didn't go down too well.

‘Not how you behave in the army’

Retired colonel Tim Collins, who is known for his inspirational speech in Iraq in 2003, called it a "tragic moneymaking scam," adding: "That’s not how you behave in the army, It’s not how we think," according to Forces News.

From one family to the next - a path of destruction?

"Harry has now turned against the other family, the military, that once embraced him, having trashed his birth family," Colonel Tim Collins added.

Riches or love?

The ex-colonel concluded, "In the end, I see only disappointment and misery in his pursuit of riches he does not need and his rejection of family and comradely love that he badly needs."

The chess pieces were humans

Perhaps even more harrowing is the Tweet from Senior Taliban official Anas Haqqani, who said: "Mr Harry!" The ones you killed were not chess pieces, they were humans; They had families who were waiting for their return.”

A respected confession?

And yet, the same Taliban official continued by saying "Among the killers of Afghans, not many have your decency to reveal their conscience and confess to their war crimes."

Decent, yet dangerous

According to the AP, Ben McBean (who knew Harry and was part of the Royal Marines) said he didn't think it was a good idea to share the information for his own safety. "I don't think it is wise that he said that out loud."

Harry has a 'target on his back'

McBean continues, ""He's already got a target on his back, more so than anyone else.”

A question of security

The Guardian states that a Ministry of Defence spokesperson said the military would not discuss Harry’s kill count claim: "We do not comment on operational details for security reasons."

An 'error of judgement'

The BBC reported Richard Kemp told them that the comments don't reflect "the way the British Army trains people," and that sharing them was "an error of judgment."

'Distasteful'

One retired Royal Navy soldier also had scathing words to say about this particular part of Harry's memoir. Chris Parry told the AP that the comments were "distasteful."

Shocking comments but not surprising?

Many are not surprised by Harry's transparency, including Arash Azizzada, the co-founder of NGO Afghans For A Better Tomorrow. As Insider reports, he said the comments were "shocking yet unsurprising."

Did Harry brag about his experiences in war?

"Rather than brag about his military exploits, he should urge his native country to actually implement the Afghan resettlement scheme... Until that happens, Afghans are reluctant to listen to his experiences in a war that has come at an unspeakable cost for Afghans," Azizzada continued.

Bringing back trauma for many Afghans

The Guardian reports that Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi said Harry's comments "are a microcosm of the trauma experienced by Afghans at the hands of occupation forces who murdered innocents without any accountability."

So why did Harry share this information?

Harry told Stephen Colbert that the purpose of this particular part of his memoir is to encourage others to "share their experiences without shame."

A dangerous lie being spread by the media?

Despite this intention, Harry said the media were spreading a 'dangerous lie' by making it out as though he was bragging. Harry said "the spin of my words are dangerous," later adding, "I think the most important thing is to be honest and to be able to give space to others."

Applause for Harry's honesty

Harry concluded by saying "And my whole goal and my attempt with sharing that detail is to reduce the number of [people taking their own lives].”

Harry was met with applause from the audience

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