Britain's Prince Harry to serve in Iraq

LONDON, Feb 22 (Reuters) Britain's Prince Harry, who is third in line to the British throne, is being deployed to Iraq, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) said today.

A ministry spokesman said the prince would be sent to Iraq with his ''A'' Squadron of the Blues and Royals regiment ''over the next few months'' as part of the latest British troop rotation.

The prince could become the first member of the royal family to see frontline action since his uncle, the Duke of York, in the Falklands War in 1982. His great-grandfather, King George VI, saw action in World War One.

The flame-haired prince, 22, had stressed that if his unit goes into battle, he would want to be leading them.

But the deployment of Second Lieutenant Wales may be a major security headache for military leaders as the prince could be a target for insurgents and a magnet for suicide bombers.

Harry had reportedly threatened to quit the army if not allowed to serve on the frontline. He has trained to become troop commander of an armoured reconnaissance unit.

REUTERS BDP PM1740