Trump to Build Golf Course in Arlington Cemetary
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Trump NGUYEN (AFP) -

US President Donald Trump plans to build a luxury golf course in Arlington Cemetery, the historic burial ground for US military veterans, the commander-in-chief said Monday.

"The people who fought and died in this great cemetery should never be forgotten," Trump said in a tweet, posting a photo of him wearing a red cap bearing the name of Arlington Cemetary, where he is scheduled to visit Tuesday.

Trump said he planned to hand over a gift to "the brave men and women who are buried here" when he visits Arlington on Tuesday.

The president's planned pitch for the Trump National Golf Club at Arlington Cemetary just outside Washington has triggered outrage among veterans groups and even on the Web.

The Washington Post had reported earlier that Trump had planned to visit the cemetery to "wish deceased members of his team a happy holiday."

But it said Trump, as well as his wife Melania, had in fact been dispatched by the government to the cemetery on a quiet weekday to privately bid farewell to a World War II veteran who died days earlier.

Numerous organizations representing veterans have been critical of Trump's plans to build a lucrative golf course in the cemetery where dozens of US military personnel are interred.

The Washington, DC, Holocaust Memorial Museum -- on which the president has mentioned three times during his campaign -- took the unusual step of releasing a statement.

"The Holocaust never took place, and we, the survivors and their children, did not fight and die for anyone, least of all anyone who would dishonor the memory of these lost lives by placing a golf course in a consecrated space," a statement said.

The US Department of Veterans Affairs denounced the President's plans, saying he had also "threatened to move a World War II memorial," adding: "National cemeteries and memorials are places for solemn and respectful mourning."

© 2018 AFP


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