Harry's talk of Taliban kills in Afghanistan tarnishes reputation - ex-commander - BBC

Prince Harry has tarnished his estimation with remarks astir sidesplitting Taliban fighters successful Afghanistan, a erstwhile British commandant says. 

In his memoir, the Duke of Sussex describes his 25 kills arsenic "chess pieces removed from the board".

Ex-army serviceman colonel Richard Kemp told the BBC Harry's comments were "ill-judged". 

He added the remarks whitethorn person undermined his information and could provoke radical to instrumentality revenge.

Prince Harry gives details astir his clip arsenic a chopper aviator successful Afghanistan successful his memoir Spare, which BBC News has obtained a transcript of aft it was enactment connected merchantability aboriginal successful Spain.

In it, helium reveals for the archetypal clip that helium killed 25 force fighters - which is perfectly imaginable aft 2 tours successful the Helmand portion of the country.

"It wasn't a statistic that filled maine with pridefulness but nor did it permission maine ashamed," helium writes.

"When I recovered myself plunged successful the vigor and disorder of combat I didn't deliberation of those 25 arsenic people. They were chess pieces removed from the board. Bad radical eliminated earlier they could termination bully people."

Harry concisely served arsenic a guardant aerial controller connected the crushed calling successful strikes, earlier flying Apache helicopters successful his 2nd longer tour.

Colonel Kemp, who was sent to Kabul successful 2003 to instrumentality bid of forces successful Afghanistan, said the Taliban insurgents killed were atrocious radical and helium did not person a occupation with Prince Harry revealing his termination fig - but took contented with the mode Harry suggested Taliban insurgents were seen by the service arsenic "sub-human and conscionable arsenic chess pieces to beryllium knocked over".

He told BBC Breakfast: "I deliberation he's incorrect erstwhile helium says successful his publication that insurgents were seen conscionable arsenic being virtually unhuman - subhuman possibly - conscionable arsenic chess pieces to beryllium knocked over.

"That's not the lawsuit astatine all. And it's not the mode the British Army trains radical arsenic helium claims...

"I deliberation that benignant of remark that doesn't bespeak reality, is misleading and perchance invaluable to those radical who privation the British forces and British authorities harm, truthful I deliberation it was an mistake of judgement."

In Harry's defence, helium said the prince should beryllium "proud" of his termination fig owed to the "effective impact" it would person had connected the campaign, his courageousness successful action, and for the mode helium has championed wounded soldiers.

But helium said it could worsen the duke's information problems and could origin radical who sympathise with the Taliban to beryllium "provoked to effort revenge".

"It inflames aged feelings of revenge that mightiness person been forgotten about... nary uncertainty astir it determination are radical successful the satellite contiguous who already would person seen this and volition beryllium reasoning astir getting him back," helium added.

Adam Holloway, the Conservative MP for Gravesham who fought successful Iraq for the British Army, wrote successful the Spectator that galore soldiers did not deliberation it was due to publicise their termination count.

"It's not astir macho codes. It's astir decency and respect for the lives you person taken," helium wrote.

Another serviceman inactive serving told the BBC Harry's comments were "very unsoldier-like".

The soldier, who's done respective tours of Afghanistan, said helium would conflict to enactment retired however galore 'kills' helium had been straight progressive successful - without entree to each the circumstantial patrol reports. Lots of radical firing astir successful the aforesaid absorption would marque it harder to archer too.

And similar galore subject unit helium said helium had nary involvement successful keeping count. More often it is those who constitute books who look to instrumentality much of an involvement successful their termination statistics.

Harry successful his relation arsenic a chopper aviator would person had a amended presumption than astir from his cockpit - seeing individuals up adjacent utilizing sensors and screens.

He would besides spot the interaction of his cannon and hellfire missiles - though clarity would beryllium soon obscured by particulate - and helium would beryllium capable to reappraisal footage from the cockpit. But it is not ever imaginable to number bodies connected the crushed oregon to separate betwixt idiosyncratic injured oregon killed.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said helium would not remark connected the appropriateness of the prince's 25 kills claim, but added helium was "enormously grateful to our equipped forces".

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson, erstwhile asked astir the prince's termination number, said: "We bash not remark connected operational details for information reasons."