Prince Harry to fight in Iraq

Prince Harry, the third in line for succession to the British throne, will serve on the front line in Iraq by the end of February.

The 22-year-old prince will head for Basra with comrades from the Blues and Royals Regiment within days and will then probably be deployed along the border with Iran.

"The final details are being sorted, but he is definitely going. Naturally, his royal status has to be taken into account -- but he will see action," a senior military source was quoted as saying in The Mirror.

Second Lieutenant Harry, who insisted on going, is likely to be in charge of a troop of 12 soldiers in light armoured vehicles.

They are expected to be sent on reconnaissance missions, spending days or even weeks out in the desert. Defence Secretary Des Browne is expected to announce the news on February 26, the tabloid said.

Prince Harry is being sent to Iraq after making it clear he was not willing to sit out the war in safety while comrades risked their lives.

'He has insisted on being able to perform his duties as any other officer would.  He won't be just flying a desk,' the military source told the tabloid.

'As a young officer Harry will want to go to war as a point of pride. There would have been no point in him training for this if that was never going to happen,' he said.

Second Lieutenant Harry, who will be known as Troop Commander Wales by colleagues in the Blues and Royals Regiment, warned superiors he would resign his commission if denied active service in Afghanistan or Iraq on security grounds.

The prince will arrive in Iraq in the middle of massive security clampdowns centred on Baghdad and Basra. More than 1,200 British troops are sweeping across Southern Iraq in pursuit of insurgents.

Men from the Blues and Royals are among troops scheduled to replace soldiers from the 19th Light Brigade in April. But military commanders and royal aides have decided to allow Harry to head to Iraq early after spending months debating the issue.

Once he arrives in Basra Harry will receive intelligence briefings on the insurgency in Iraq.  After a few days he will be probably be deployed along the Iranian border to help the security operation against Shia insurgents.

Harry, who graduated from Sandhurst Military Academy, will lead his troop of 12 men in light armoured vehicles on missions to gather intelligence.

His mobile force may spend days or even weeks out in the desert, possibly in the volatile Maysan Province. Although isolated from the main battle group, Harry is likely to operate some distance from dangerous towns.

The Royal Family have a long history of war service. George II was the last king to lead troops into battle, when his army beat the French at Dettingen in 1743.

The Queen's father George VI was in the Royal Navy before becoming king and saw action at the Battle of Jutland in the First World War on HMS Collingwood.