A Roundup of Today's Main News
by Liam Bailey
2008-02-28 19:10:00 ****
Prince Harry Fighting in Afghanistan
U.S. news source the drudge report, and sources in Australia and Germany revealed that Prince Harry has been serving on the front lines in Helmand province in Afghanistan. A media black-out had been agreed with the British media, after publicity prevented Harry from serving in Iraq last year. The media were given a photo opportunity in Helmand in return for not breaking the story until he returned to the U.K.
After his set-back last year to work as a Scimitar light tank troop leader in Iraq Household Cavalry officer Harry retrained as a battlefield air controller known as a JTAC (Joint Terminal Attack Controller), in preparation for a tour of Afghanistan. Harry has been in Afghanistan since December 14, spending several weeks just 500m from Taliban positions in Garmsir in the far south of Helmand Province. He has since been redeployed, to where cannot be revealed for obvious security reasons.
It has not yet been said what plans are for Prince Harry now, but it is likely he will have to be withdrawn.
Israeli Troops Enter Gaza
Amid rockets from the Palestinian side and air-strikes from Israel, Ynet News reports that Israeli troops today entered Gaza near the town of Khan Younis in southern Gaza. The report which apparently came from Palestinian sources puts the two sides engaging in gun battles inside Gaza.
According to the Daily Star Lebanon, four children have been killed in 48 hours of heavy Israeli shelling, one Israeli student has been killed by Palestinian rockets. The latest violence was sparked by Israel capitalising on an opportunity to take out five of Hamas's senior militia, as they commuted to a training camp in the same car. In response Hamas broke out the big guns, launching its medium range Grad rockets into Ashkelon as Qassams peppered Sderot.
Israel's government has come under increasing pressure from those living in towns within the range of the rockets, and right-wing politicians, to launch a ground operation into Gaza, and today's ground incursion could well be the start of it.
