Taliban unimpressed by Prince Harry's remarks

"He doesn’t have the brain to know there is a war here” said Taliban after prince compared war to video games

Published January 22, 2013 9:44PM (EST)

Taliban spokesman "Zabiullah Mujahid" (thought to represent a number of militants in Afghanistan) has barbed Prince Harry's recent comments about serving in the British military.

"He doesn’t have the brain to know there is a war here,” the spokesman told the Guardian in response to questions about comments from Capt. Wales' (Harry's military title).

Harry admitted publicly to killing people while he was a co-pilot in an Apache helicopter and, somewhat callously, chalked his skills up to practice with video games. "It’s a joy for me because I’m one of those people who loves playing PlayStation and Xbox, so with my thumbs I like to think I’m probably quite useful," he said.

“I think he has a mental problem; that’s why he is saying it is a game,” the Mujahid said, expressing disbelief that the prince had engaged in real warfare. “I don’t believe that he participated in the fighting,” said the spokesman. “Maybe he has seen the mujahideen in a movie, but that’s it.”

The prince's comments were made during a recently completed 20-week deployment as a gunner in a British Apache helicopter:


By Natasha Lennard

Natasha Lennard is an assistant news editor at Salon, covering non-electoral politics, general news and rabble-rousing. Follow her on Twitter @natashalennard, email nlennard@salon.com.

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Afghanistan Britain Military Monarchy Prince Harry Taliban Video War