Trump says D.C. arch will double as well-stocked military base with drones and snipers
'There will be no facility like this anywhere in the World,' U.S. president says of planned structure along the Potomac River near the Arlington National Cemetery
US President Donald Trump plans to build a triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery in Washington. According to Trump, the arch will double as a "military complex" housing drones and snipers, as well as storing large quantities of ammunition. The president cited national security concerns for the move, as reported by Dawn.
The arch, which will be 76 metres tall, will reportedly have drones, snipers on both the roof and plaza areas, and storage for large quantities of sniper ammunition. Trump stated that he agreed to turn the arch "into a top-grade Military Complex/Triumphal Arch" at the "strong request" of the military.
The plans have drawn criticism from preservationists and others who argue they could alter or diminish historic landmarks. A federal court is currently weighing the legality of the arch, as reported by NPR. The White House and the Department of Defence did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Brief written by urgent.news from National Post, Dawn, PBS NewsHour, NPR, The New York Times — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- Trump says Washington Arch to become military complex housing drones, snipers hindustantimes.com
- Trump to use Washington triumphal arch as military complex dawn.com
- Trump anuncia que el gigantesco arco del triunfo de Washington será un complejo militar con drones y francotiradores elpais.com
- Trump says proposed triumphal arch near White House would house drones, snipers cbc.ca
