US shutdown affects WWII memorials

The American government, has consequences in Belgium, RTBF reports. The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) , the agency which manages the military cemeteries and memorials dedicated to U.S. soldiers,  is the responsibility of the federal authorities. Consequently, its employees are temporarily laid off. Three cemeteries in Belgium are affected until further notice: Flanders Field in Waregem, Henri-Chapelle in Welkenraedt and the Ardennes American Cemetery and Memorial in Neuville-en-Condroz (pictured), where 17 people are employed by the ABMC. The site remains accessible to the public, however. The American embassy in Brussels, meanwhile, remains open, and passports and visas therefore continue to be issued.