Amid threats against his life, Prince Harry will not be sent to war-torn Iraq according to Britain's top general .
The news is sure to come as a major disappointment to Harry, 22, who is third in line to the throne and recently vowed he would leave the military if he wasn't allowed to serve with his regiment.
His regiment, the Blues and Royals, is due to begin a six-month tour of duty in Iraq.
"The head of the army, Gen. Richard Dannatt has confirmed that Prince Harry will not be going to Iraq. This comes just a couple of weeks after he announced the prince would be going to Iraq," CTV's London Bureau Chief Tom Kennedy reported.
"What has happened since, is that after it was announced that the third in the line to the throne would be going, there were immediate threats on several websites run by the insurgents in Iraq.
"It was obvious to everybody that this individual, Prince Harry, would be a premier target there, possibly putting the lives of soldiers around him in danger as well."
Kennedy said that although the prince is said to be "deeply disappointed" with the news, the latest reports from his father's Clarence House offices are that he will not quit the army.
After the announcement that Harry was going to Iraq, there were reports that militants formed a special unit with the sole goal of kidnapping or assassinating the prince once he arrived in Iraq.
Dannatt said the changing situation on the ground would have exposed the prince to too much danger."There have been a number of specific threats, some reported and some not reported, that relate directly to Prince Harry as an individual," Dannatt said. "These threats exposed him and those around him to a degree of risk I considered unacceptable."
Kennedy said insurgents will see the latest development as a victory.
"The other problem is that this really is a propaganda victory, maybe only short term, but it certainly is a propaganda victory for the insurgents," Kennedy said.
"I can tell you very, very shortly these websites that are run by the insurgents are going to be full of claims that Britons are cowards, that they were afraid to send Prince Harry into Iraq."
Earlier, Harry said he was honoured to serve his country and was prepared to "do anything they throw at me."
The decision to keep Harry from serving in Iraq could have a damaging impact on the morale of the British troops in the field, said Charles Heyman, a former British soldier and the editor of the book, "Armed Forces of the UK."
"Soldiers will say: 'If it's too dangerous for Prince Harry, then it's too dangerous for me. Is his life worth more than mine?' Well, from a political point of view, yes. But from a morale point of view the answer is no," Heyman told The Associated Press.
