US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the triumphal arch he plans to build near Arlington National Cemetery in Washington would also serve as a “military complex”, housing drones and snipers and storing large quantities of ammunition.
Trump cited national security concerns for the move, similar to the rationale given for the roughly $400 million ballroom complex being built on the site of the White House’s former East Wing, according to a Reuters report.
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What are the projects?
The projects are part of Trump’s broader effort to reshape Washington, which also includes a push to add his name to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The plans have faced criticism from preservationists and others who say they could alter or diminish historic landmarks.
In a social media post, Trump said that at the “strong request” of the military he had agreed to turn the 250-foot (76-metre) arch “into a top grade Military Complex/Triumphal Arch, to house, store, and have the rapid ability to use large numbers of drones, plus Snipers, on both the roof and plaza areas, and additionally have and hold large quantities of sniper ammunition in storage.”
Experts questions military rationale
Mark Cancian, a retired Marine colonel, said the move appeared to be aimed at countering opposition to the arch, which is planned for a traffic circle near Arlington National Cemetery, about a mile from Fort Myer, an active Army installation, and roughly 2 miles (3.2 km) from the Pentagon.
“It looks like it’s tacked on in order to strengthen the rationale for construction,” Cancian, a senior adviser with the Defense and Security Department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank, told Reuters. “There is this military facility (Fort Myer) long established with a variety of military capabilities one mile away. So why you need this one isn’t clear.”
Cancian also said storing ammunition at the arch would pose logistical challenges and questioned the value of positioning snipers there.
Legal challenges mounted
US District Judge Tanya Chutkan earlier this month ordered the Trump administration to provide 48 hours’ notice before carrying out any activity at the triumphal arch site.
Her ruling came a day after the US Interior Department announced plans to move ahead with work on the arch despite legal challenges and the absence of final approval from a government planning authority.
The Federal Aviation Administration said last week that the arch would not pose a hazard to aircraft but would be required to have an “eternal flame” on top, clearing an aviation hurdle for the structure, which Trump proposed to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Aviation experts have raised safety concerns over the arch’s proximity to Reagan Washington National Airport, while veterans have sued to block the project, arguing that it would destroy the historic sightline between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.