SEOUL, South Korea — Pentagon and administration lawyers are looking for ways to expand the number of Defense Department civilians who are exempt from furloughs, amid worries that the government shutdown is damaging US credibility among its international allies, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Tuesday.
“It does have an effect on our relationships around the world and it cuts straight to the obvious question: Can you rely on the United States as a reliable partner to fulfill its commitments to its allies?” Hagel told reporters traveling with him. “It does cast a very significant pall over America’s credibility to our allies when this kind of thing happens.”
The US is putting a greater focus on the Asia-Pacific region, where nervous allies like Japan and South Korea worry about threats from North Korea and rely on America to provide them with broader missile defense capabilities and military aid.
Source: NY Post
