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[每日电讯 3月7日 英文报道]
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ ... 8/03/07/nraf307.xml
Armed Forces 'should wear uniform in public'
By James Kirkup
Last Updated: 11:26am GMT 07/03/2008
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Gordon Brown has said military personnel should be encouraged to appear in public in uniform after it emerged that some RAF servicemen and women have been advised only to wear civilian clothing outside their base.
# Three Line Whip: Armed Forces should wear uniform and toughen up
The order was given to personnel at an air base in Cambridgeshire on the advice of RAF police after reports of verbal abuse from members of the public.
RAF Wittering: Where RAF uniform is met with abuse
The ban at RAF Wittering came after reviewing incidents of abuse over a seven-month period
The Prime Minister today condemned people who showed disrespect to members of the military and urged the police to intervene to prevent harassment.
Britain's armed forces should be "encouraged to wear their uniform in public and have the respect and gratitude of the British people", Mr Brown said at Downing Street.
"I encourage the local police to back up our armed forces so that not only can our armed forces wear their uniforms in public, but they should have the gratitude of the British public for the work they do," he added.
The base commander at RAF Wittering, near Peterborough, issued his recommendation on uniforms after reviewing incidents of abuse over a seven-month period.
Sqd Ldr Tony Walsh, a spokesman at the base, said a number of personnel who lived in the city and its outskirts had suffered abuse when wearing their uniforms off-duty.
The abuse had come from a "cross-section" of the community, he added, and was believed to be linked to the RAF's operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Gordon Brown condemns uniform abuse
The PM urges the armed forces to wear uniforms
Air Chief Marshal Sir Glenn Torpy, the Chief of the Air Staff, said: "Whatever people's views are about specific military operations, everyone should be able to recognise the bravery and professionalism of our Armed Forces and respect the difficult job they do."
Liam Fox, the Tory shadow defence secretary, said last night: "I think that the majority of our public would be appalled to hear that there are no-go areas for our Armed Forces, even in their own country."
A spokeswoman for Cambridgeshire Police said she was not aware of any incidents of servicemen being attacked or abused in Peterborough. |
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