LONDON - British defence chiefs were warned yesterday that the decision to send Prince Harry to fight in Iraq could create a propaganda coup for the insurgents if he is captured or harmed.
Amid growing confusion over who should take the final decision over the Prince's tour ofduty, Home Secretary John Reid, a former Defence Secretary, gave the clearest warning so far that the Government would prefer defence chiefs to veto the proposed posting.
Ministers respect the Prince's personal courage in wanting to go ahead with the tour with his men, but they fear that it could hand the insurgents a propaganda victory. Reid stressed that the issue was of "strategic importance" in the propaganda war.
He twice insisted that the decision lay in the hands of the defence chiefs, but the matter has become an intensely political problem.
"This is not just a matter of humanity for operational concerns, it has a potentially big strategic importance. It is right in my view that these decisions are made by the chiefs of the armed forces themselves."
Prince Harry is due to fly out with his unit from the Household Cavalry within days.
