US military parade ordered by Trump postponed 'to 2019'

International Desk: US defence officials have postponed a planned Veterans Day weekend military parade through the streets of Washington DC until at least 2019.

The parade was originally conceived to commemorate the centenary of the end of World War 1 and to honour veterans.

But a Pentagon official said it has now been delayed at least one year.

Provisional figures released earlier on Thursday said the event could cost about $90 million (£71m) - more than three times an original estimate.

US President Donald Trump requested a parade after seeing France's Bastille Day event in 2017 and expressing a desire to "top it".

A Pentagon spokesperson, Colonel Rob Manning, said in a statement that the Department of Defence and the White House "have now agreed to explore opportunities in 2019".

Earlier on Thursday, a US official told a news agency the planning estimate for the event had ballooned to as much as $92m (£72m).

The parade's budget director had offered an estimate of between $10m (£7.8m) and $30m (£23.6m) when the White House announced its request in February.

A memo at the time said no tanks would be used so as not to damage the roads of the nation's capital.

The city's governing District of Columbia Council was critical of the plan when announced, voicing its displeasure on Twitter.

Source: Agencies



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