The Asian Age

‘Post is Amazon’s lobbying arm’

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Washington, July 15: US President Donald Trump has attacked The Washington Post, owned by Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, alleging that the daily is being used against Congress for mounting pressure on politician­s so that they do not look into the e-commerce giant’s alleged taxmonopol­y.

Trump accused the Post of filing incorrect stories. “Is fake news Washington Post being used as a lobbyist weapon against Congress to keep politician­s from looking into Amazon no-tax monopoly?” he said in a series of tweets late last night. “So many stories about me in the Washington Post are

So many stories about me in the Washington Post are fake mews. They are as bad as ratings challenged at CNN. Lobbyist for Amazon and taxes? Donald Trump, US President

Fake News. They are as bad as ratings challenged at CNN. Lobbyist for Amazon and taxes?” Mr Trump said. “The Amazon Washington Post fabricated the facts on my ending massive, dangerous and wasteful payments to Syrian rebels fighting Assad,” he said as he challenged the Post for writing a story on Syria, which he said is wrong.

In a lead story, the Post said that cooperatio­n with Russia is becoming a central part of the Trump administra­tion’s counterIsl­amic State strategy in Syria. US military planners are counting on Moscow to try to prevent Syrian government forces and their allies on the ground from interferin­g in coalition-backed operations against the militants, the daily said.

However, according to the daily, some lawmakers and White House officials have expressed concern that the short sighted strategy gives the longterm advantage in Syria to Russia,Iran and Assad, and ultimately leaves the door open for a vanquished Islamic State to re-establish itself.

Senator John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, alleged that by doing so the Trump administra­tion is playing into the hands of the Russian President Vladimir Putin. In an editorial, The Wall Street Journal wrote the Trump administra­tion seems to want to find some agreement with Russia to stabilise Syria even if that means entrenchin­g Assad and the Russian and Iranian military presence.

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