WASHINGTON (AP) — Pentagon spokesman Col. Dave Lapan says there are indications of foreign powers "pulling back" from their dealings with the U.S. since hundreds of classified diplomatic cables wound up on the Internet.
Lapan declined to cite any specific examples, including whether foreign officials have said they will no longer trust the U.S. with their secrets.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates had told reporters last week he did not believe the release of diplomatic cables by the WikiLeaks anti-secrecy website would permanently damage foreign relations because other countries see too much value in engaging the U.S.
However, Lapan told reporters that "believing the U.S. is not good at keeping secrets ... certainly changes things," and that "generally, there has been a retrenchment" in cooperation.