UK Calls Iraq Withdrawal Days after Prince Harry Deployment Revealed. How Long Would it Take Bush if the Twins Enlisted?

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ANALYSIS

News of Britain's Iraq troop withdrawal comes just days after it was announced that Prince Harry might be deployed. Coincidence? Maybe, Maybe not.

The war is already vastly unpopular in Britain. Many experts believe Prime Minister Tony Blair's decision to join the invasion cost him big politically and may have prompted his pending retirement from government.

But, despite the 132 current British casualties, there would be serious hell to pay if Prince Harry was wounded or killed in combat. As a national figure and third in line to the throne (after his father and older brother, William, who is also a soldier but not allowed to be sent into combat), Harry's anticipated deployment had been causing a buzz all weekend. Even senior military commanders are apprehensive about possible his combat service.

The list of American VIPs in Iraq is few and far between. There are a few children of politicians serving, but the media rarely touches those stories. By our count, the only American who was famous before dying in the Middle East was former football star Pat Tillman. After that, Democratic Senator Max Baucus' nephew was our only casualty nationally notable for who he was.

A recent story detailed how small towns in America are bearing the emotional scars of the war in Iraq. Nearly half of casualties come from towns where fewer than 25,000 people live; one in five are from hometowns of less than 5,000. These tight-knit communities are more likely to be personally affected by such terrible loss and see first-hand the costs of war. Though every life is equally important, national figures like Pat Tillman and Prince Harry allow everyone to feel more connected.

Of course, Tony Blair's kids are far from danger. His eldest son (who spent three months working for a Republican congressman) will be studying at Yale soon on a full scholarship, and none of his other three children show any signs of enlisting. As Sen. Barbara Boxer noted of herself and Condi Rice, Blair also does not have to "pay a personal price."

In 2005 BuzzFlash noted that not a single member of the Bush extended family was serving in the military to fight George's "noble war." We led a petition demanding that Bush bring our troops home unless the eligible members of his family enlisted.

Of course, our petition would have gotten our troops home either way. If one of the Bush twins had followed in their father's footsteps and joined the 147th of the Texas Air National Guard, you can bet America would be withdrawing from the war, too. After all, Bush saw to it that the 147th is getting some combat experience this time around by sending them to Iraq.

It may be unfair to demand children go to war because of the decisions of their parents. But it is equally unfair to demand parents send their children to war without facing the same risks you are asking of them.

Tony Blair is not related to Prince Harry, but Blair knows his own neck is on the line when it comes to Harry's safety in Iraq. If only Bush had the same accountability to the wellbeing of just one of our soldiers in harm's way.

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ANALYSIS