As if any of us needed further reason to hold Matt Drudge in contempt, it is apparently now his practice to dish up the dirt and provide his tabloid "scoop" even at the expense of lives and the safety of coalition soldiers. In outing the deployment of Prince Harry, Drudge has endangered the life of a young man and those of his comrades who at least had the guts to serve in their nation's military. To steal a republican talking point, this is giving aid and comfort to the enemy.
Guardian Article
As reported by the UK’s Guardian:
Prince Harry has been secretly serving on the front line in Afghanistan with British troops since December, it emerged today.
The 23-year-old, who is third in line to the throne, has spent the past 10 weeks as a forward air controller (FAC) in the dangerous southern province of Helmand, guiding fighter jets towards suspected Taliban targets.
the notoriously tabloid-esque British media (and I would presume the American media by proxy) had agreed not to report this information, so as not to endanger the Prince, his soldiers and his mission. That was until THIS guy decided differently.
The news of the operational posting leaked out following the breakdown of a blackout agreement with the media, when the story was posted this afternoon on the US-based Drudge Report website.
The Drudge Report initially said it had taken the information from a story last month in an Australian women's magazine, New Idea, although it later claimed a "world exclusive".
The chief of the general staff, Sir Richard Dannatt, who is head of the British army, expressed great disappointment over the leak.
This is no less than providing Al Qaeda with sensitive information on troop deployments. I would expect the winger chorus to be howling from the hills about now about this breach of a good faith agreement among media outlets and the British military, but they are strangely and sadly silent.
I would also like to point out that this was not criticism of the war effort which was being hushed; it was information on the deployment of the 3rd in line to the British crown.
We all question our civilian governments, but we also all support our troops for doing what they’ve been called to do.
I myself have no particular hatred of or affinity for the royal family, and I can understand why many in the military or military families would question the strategic value of sending a royal into battle (it would be nice if our leaders were so willing to enlist), however once the decision was made – it was absolutely unconscionable to out this information, unless Drudge actually wished to further endanger Prince Harry or his comrades.
Way to go Drudge, this one’s for you!