Harry should go to Iraq

The decision not to send Prince Harry to Iraq was a massive mistake and a symptom of everything that's wrong with modern Britain.

Harry wants to go and our boys out there are spoiling for a proper fight.

He could be the bait that draws the insurgents out from the civilians they hide among and when Harry came home, those insurgents and their foreign backers would find both their numbers and their credibility, seriously depleted.

Like Churchill, who also saw war overseas as a young officer, Harry would be a better servant of this country as a result of the experience.

Harry must not be endangered, or endanger our troops by going. How crass is that? They're already in daily mortal peril. Thus, we embolden our enemies and hand them an easy propaganda victory by appearing to be exactly the weak democracy we've become.

Tommy Atkins is still the outstanding professional that his forbears were, but there is more of Halifax than Churchill about his people these days.

Robert Jenkins, Stirchley