A minor classic via Newsbusters. This is stupid, yes, but not for the reason it seems at first blush. I don’t think Jones is saying that NATO troops, who’ve spent more than 11 years killing the Taliban, should fret about hurting their feelings. I think she’s saying that Harry’s already enough of a target that it’s reckless to give terrorists any extra motivation to find him. It’s the same argument, essentially, as the White House gives for why it won’t release the Bin Laden death photos. Taunting the other team from the end zone arguably does more for their morale than for yours. (The Taliban’s actual reaction to Harry’s interview was surprising, less angry than smug.)

The real reason this is stupid is that there’s a painfully obvious answer to the question. Namely, that Harry talking about his experience in the British military killing jihadis is the best press the royal family has had in ages. Quote:

Asked before he left Afghanistan if he had killed insurgents during his tour, he said: “Yeah, so, lots of people have. … Yes, we fire when we have to, take a life to save a life, but essentially we’re more of a deterrent than anything else.

“If there’s people trying to do bad stuff to our guys, then we’ll take them out of the game, I suppose,” the second son of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana said in one of several interviews released to the media…

Harry’s job as an Apache co-pilot was to man its weapons system when his 662 Squadron unit flew sorties in support of ground troops fighting Taliban or accompanying other helicopters on missions to evacuate casualties…

“Yes, you get shot at. But if the guys who are doing the same job as us are being shot at on the ground, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with us [Prince William and himself] being shot at as well. People back home will have issues with that, but we’re not special.”

Most royal “news” has to do with Kate Middleton’s hair or whatever. This guy flies Apaches under fire in Afghanistan and gives a winningly egalitarian explanation for why he’s willing to do it and somehow his comment comparing his duties to video games is proof that he’s “jumped the shark”? What?