英国政府裁掉17个部队以节省开支。军队将裁减20%,仅保留8000人,这是200年来的最低水平。Jonathan Beale报道。
Over the past decade, the British army has been at war, fighting on two fronts: in Iraq and Afghanistan for long stretches. The smaller army of 2020 won't be big enough to do that. It will be split in two: a reaction force made up of regular troops, highly trained and ready to deploy at short notice, and an adaptable force that will carry out ceremonial roles, as well as meeting long-term commitments like defending the Falklands. The army of 2020 will be more reliant on reservists, no longer an add-on but an integral part of the army.
过去十年间,英国军队一直在两个战场长期作战,一个是伊拉克,一个是阿富汗。2020年缩减后的军队就无法应付如此作战了。军队将分为两个部分,一个是由常规军组成经过高度训练的反应部队,一旦需要可立即执行任务,一个是适应性部队,将发挥仪式性作用,并发挥诸如捍卫福克兰岛之类的长期任务。2020年的军队将更多地依靠后备军,后备军不再是额外的,而是整个军队的一部分。
Police in Northern Ireland are to conduct a murder investigation into the death of 13 people shot dead by British soldiers 40 years ago in what became known as 'bloody Sunday'. The decision comes after a public inquiry found that none of those killed was armed. It's not yet clear that when the investigation will start.