This struck me as a bizzare decision - am I right to have my tinfoil hat on and feel the government is ashamed of service personnel injured in Iraq and Afghanistan, or is this standard policy and perfectly acceptable?
[quote="The Observer]Families accuse government of being 'ashamed' of victims of war in Afghanistan and Iraq as British Legion has to tell them guidelines do not allow serving soldiers to take part in Remembrance Day march past
Serving soldiers horrifically injured in the Iraq and Afghan conflicts have been refused permission to join today's main Remembrance Day parade, prompting angry accusations that the government is 'ashamed' to have them seen in public.
Jamie Cooper, 19, the youngest Briton seriously injured in Basra, had hoped to join the march past at the Cenotaph in Whitehall. He is one of a number of young soldiers recuperating from injuries suffered in Iraq and Afghanistan the Royal British Legion had wanted to include in Britain's centrepiece remembrance ceremony.
But last week, the head of the Legion contacted Jamie's's father, Phillip, to say that government rules for participating in the parade stipulated that only veterans, not 'serving soldiers', could take part.[/quote]
http://www.guardian.co.uk/military/story/0,,2209307,00.html
Before anyone else says it, yes, I'm outraged.
[quote="The Observer]Families accuse government of being 'ashamed' of victims of war in Afghanistan and Iraq as British Legion has to tell them guidelines do not allow serving soldiers to take part in Remembrance Day march past
Serving soldiers horrifically injured in the Iraq and Afghan conflicts have been refused permission to join today's main Remembrance Day parade, prompting angry accusations that the government is 'ashamed' to have them seen in public.
Jamie Cooper, 19, the youngest Briton seriously injured in Basra, had hoped to join the march past at the Cenotaph in Whitehall. He is one of a number of young soldiers recuperating from injuries suffered in Iraq and Afghanistan the Royal British Legion had wanted to include in Britain's centrepiece remembrance ceremony.
But last week, the head of the Legion contacted Jamie's's father, Phillip, to say that government rules for participating in the parade stipulated that only veterans, not 'serving soldiers', could take part.[/quote]
http://www.guardian.co.uk/military/story/0,,2209307,00.html
Before anyone else says it, yes, I'm outraged.