Harry’s claim he killed 25 in Afghanistan draws anger, worry

LONDON (AP) — In a book full of startling revelations, Prince Harry's assertion that he killed 25 people in Afghanistan is one of the most striking,  and has drawn criticism from both enemies and allies.

In his memoir, Spare, Harry says he killed more than two dozen Taliban militants while serving as an Apache helicopter copilot gunner in Afghanistan in 2012-2013.

He writes that he feels neither satisfaction nor shame about his actions, and in the heat of battle regarded enemy combatants as pieces being removed from a chessboard, “Baddies eliminated before they could kill Goodies.”

Harry has talked before about his combat experience, saying near the end of his tour in 2013 that “if there's people trying to do bad stuff to our guys, then we'll take them out of the game.”

But his decision to put a number on those he killed, and the comparison to chess pieces, drew outrage from the Taliban, and concern from British veterans.

“Mr. Harry! The ones you killed were not chess pieces, they were humans; they had families who were waiting for their return,” prominent Taliban member Anas Haqqani wrote Friday on Twitter.

The Taliban, who adhere to a strict interpretation of Islam, returned to power when Western troops withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021. 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.”

In Britain, some veterans and military leaders said publishing a head count violated an unspoken military code.

Colonel Tim Collins, who led a British battalion during the Iraq war, told Forces News that the statement was “not how you behave in the Army; it's not how we think.” Retired Royal Navy officer Rear Admiral Chris Parry called the claim “distasteful.”

Some questioned whether Harry could be sure of the toll, but Harry said he reviewed video of his missions, and “in the era of Apaches and laptops,” technology let him know exactly how many enemy combatants he had killed.

Others said Harry's words could increase the security risk for him and for British forces around the world.

“I don't think it is wise that he said that out loud,” Royal Marines veteran Ben McBean, who knows Harry from their military days, told Sky News. “He's already got a target on his back, more so than anyone else.”

Harry lost his publicly funded UK police protection when he and his wife Meghan quit royal duties in 2020. Harry is suing the British government over its refusal to let him pay personally for police security when he comes to Britain.

Tens of thousands of British troops served in Afghanistan, and more than 450 died, between the US-led invasion in 2001 and the end of UK combat operations in 2014.

Harry spent a decade in the British Army, serving twice in Afghanistan. He spent 10 weeks as a forward air controller in 2007-2008 until a media leak cut short his tour.

Harry's memoir is due to be published around the world on Tuesday. The Associated Press obtained an early Spanish-language copy.

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