Hagel warns Americans of the risks of isolationism: US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Tuesday warned Americans against isolationism, saying the United States could not afford to turn away from the world's crises.
Hagel's appeal coincides with a growing fatigue at home with the country's international commitments, after 13 years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Pentagon chief acknowledged Americans were wary of foreign commitments but said the costs of pulling back from the world would carry even bigger risks.
"Turning inward, history teaches us, does not insulate us from the world's troubles," Hagel said in a speech in Chicago.
"It only forces us to be more engaged later -- at a higher cost in blood and treasure, and often on the terms of others," he said.
Hagel said staying engaged with the world was not an act of "charity" but a matter of practical national interests.
