On the 14th December 2007 the youngest prince of the United Kingdom, Harry, went to fight with the British troops in Afghanistan. This is not surprising if he, like many others, believes that peace can be brought about through war. Recalled home early for security reasons, all the patriotic and pro-government newspapers have rushed to tell the world about the courage that this young man has demonstrated.
The Sun printed a poster with the image of Harry and his patrol, showing the prince holding his rifle and ready to shoot, and invited people to study it. The same newspaper on its front page tells how Harry would have killed, or at least contributed to killing, thirty Taliban, directing by phone three air strikes on enemy positions. And that Harry, attacked by the Taliban on a mobile location where he was with his soldiers, promptly placed himself in front of a heavy machine gun, which he had never used before, and opened fire, repelling the attack.
The Italian newspaper La Repubblica cites some interviews.
"He displayed exemplary conduct" is the comment of head of the Army, General Dannott. "All Britain is proud of him," says Prime Minister Brown.
Harry instead comments: "Finally I can seriously be a soldier, as I have always wanted to. ... I hope that my mum is proud, I hope that she watched me from heaven".
Ironically, Lady Diana Spencer, the mother of Harry, was at the forefront of the campaign to ban landmines. For this reason she was nominated to the Nobel Peace Prize.
Today there are more than 100 million landmines in the world, 10 million in Afghanistan. In 2006 landmines have killed, mutilated or injured 5,751 people in 68 countries and territories: 1 / 3 of them are children. The price of a mine varies between $3 and $30, the cost of de-mining varies between $300 and $1,000. 33 billion dollars are needed to make inactive 110 million mines; experts have estimated that with the current speed of de-mining 1,100 years would not be enough to remove the mines from the entire planet, assuming no new mines were laid. But for every deactivated mine, 20 others are laid on the ground: in 1994 100,000 were removed, while 2,000,000 were buried.
After due consideration I doubt that Lady Diana, watching her son Harry from heaven, would be proud of him.
Posted in English for Bruno Picozzi
The Sun printed a poster with the image of Harry and his patrol, showing the prince holding his rifle and ready to shoot, and invited people to study it. The same newspaper on its front page tells how Harry would have killed, or at least contributed to killing, thirty Taliban, directing by phone three air strikes on enemy positions. And that Harry, attacked by the Taliban on a mobile location where he was with his soldiers, promptly placed himself in front of a heavy machine gun, which he had never used before, and opened fire, repelling the attack.
The Italian newspaper La Repubblica cites some interviews.
"He displayed exemplary conduct" is the comment of head of the Army, General Dannott. "All Britain is proud of him," says Prime Minister Brown.
Harry instead comments: "Finally I can seriously be a soldier, as I have always wanted to. ... I hope that my mum is proud, I hope that she watched me from heaven".
Ironically, Lady Diana Spencer, the mother of Harry, was at the forefront of the campaign to ban landmines. For this reason she was nominated to the Nobel Peace Prize.
Today there are more than 100 million landmines in the world, 10 million in Afghanistan. In 2006 landmines have killed, mutilated or injured 5,751 people in 68 countries and territories: 1 / 3 of them are children. The price of a mine varies between $3 and $30, the cost of de-mining varies between $300 and $1,000. 33 billion dollars are needed to make inactive 110 million mines; experts have estimated that with the current speed of de-mining 1,100 years would not be enough to remove the mines from the entire planet, assuming no new mines were laid. But for every deactivated mine, 20 others are laid on the ground: in 1994 100,000 were removed, while 2,000,000 were buried.
After due consideration I doubt that Lady Diana, watching her son Harry from heaven, would be proud of him.
Posted in English for Bruno Picozzi
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