Date:30/04/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/04/30/stories/2007043004981400.htm

International

Iraq group forms catch-Harry squad

Ghaith Abdul-Ahad and Richard Norton-Taylor

Basra/London: Prince Harry will be a prime kidnap target for militants in Iraq, a commander in the Mahdi army, the Shia militia loyal to the radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, has told the London-based Guardian newspaper.

``One of our aims is to capture Harry, we have people inside the British bases to inform us on when he will arrive,'' claimed Abu Mujtaba, who commands a unit of around 50 men active in the Mahdi army in Basra.

In comments denounced by British defence sources as ``blatant propaganda'', Abu Mujtaba told the Guardian: ``We have a special unit that would work to track him down, with informants inside the bases.

``Not only us, the Mahdi army, that will try to capture him, but every person who hates the British and the Americans will try to get him, all the mujahideens in Iraq, the Al-Qaeda, the Iranians all will try to get him.''

The Guardian has seen evidence that Abu Mujtaba has a number of men under his command as well as weaponry including rockets, but there is no independent evidence to substantiate his claims that militias have infiltrated British bases, or established a unit to target Prince Harry.

Abu Mujtaba continued: ``For me he is just a British soldier and he should be killed if comes to Iraq, but let's be realistic, we can kill hundreds of British soldiers before forcing them to withdraw — like what's happening with Americans now — but Harry is a bigger catch and we will force the British to come on their knees and talk to us.''

A senior Iraqi Defence Ministry official said militias could overrun Basra relatively easily because they had successfully infiltrated local security forces. ``When the Brits formed these forces they depended on these militias for lists of recruits,'' he said.

Propaganda

Responding to the threats against Prince Harry, a British defence source said:

``This is blatant propaganda from those who aim to tear Iraq apart. These threats will not prevent British forces from doing their vital work of building up the Iraqi security forces and helping them to face down those perpetuating violence against the Iraqi people.''

The Ministry of Defence has maintained its previous official line, that Prince Harry's deployment on a six-month tour to south-eastern Iraq with his regiment, the Blues and Royals of the Household Cavalry, was under ``constant consideration''. It added: ``It remains our intention that Prince Harry will be deployed as a troop leader.''

The Blues and Royals are part of a mechanised brigade to be deployed next month. They will carry out reconnaissance using armoured cars.