The Pentagon released the information four days after Lloyd Austin was first hospitalized. Accordingly, the US Secretary of Defense was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on New Year's Day "due to complications following a recent elective medical procedure."
US Secretary of Defense. (Photo: Getty)
The brief statement did not elaborate on what the medical complication was or what complications it had caused, but said Austin was “recovering well.” As of Tuesday afternoon, Austin was expected to resume full duty, Pentagon press secretary Pat Ryder said. It was unclear when he would be discharged.
Asked why the Pentagon waited four days to inform the public about Austin’s hospitalization, Ryder said: “This is a complex situation where we have to consider a number of factors,” including medical issues and personal privacy issues.
The Pentagon declined to say whether Mr. Austin was unconscious during his hospitalization or whether he was ever in critical condition.
As defense secretary, Austin is one of the most important members of President Joe Biden’s Cabinet. Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks “is ready to act and exercise the authority of the secretary, if called upon,” Ryder added.
The Austin incident comes as the United States faces a number of national security issues abroad, including attacks on U.S. troops in the Middle East, U.S. Navy ships intercepting Houthi rocket launches from Yemen, and wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
While the defense secretary was hospitalized, the United States conducted a strike in Baghdad targeting a pro-Iranian militia commander. Mr. Ryder said Mr. Austin authorized the strike before he was hospitalized.
The Pentagon's failure to make a public announcement when Mr Austin was hospitalized prompted the Pentagon Press Association to express "outrage" that disclosure standards may have been violated.
“What happened did not meet the usual disclosure standards for federal agencies when senior officials undergo medical procedures or are temporarily incapacitated,” the Pentagon Press Association wrote.
The public has a right to know when members of the United States Cabinet are hospitalized, sedated, or have their duties reassigned as a result of any medical procedure. This is even routine at the presidential level. As the nation’s top defense official, Secretary Austin has no right to privacy in this situation.”
When US President Joe Biden was hospitalized for a routine colonoscopy in 2021, the White House announced in advance that he would briefly transfer power to Vice President Kamala Harris.
And when Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith was hospitalized in late October, the service notified the public within 24 hours that he had a medical emergency that required immediate attention. The Marine Corps then named the senior officer who would take command in Smith’s absence. Within four days, the Marine Corps added that Smith was doing well after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest.
Phuong Anh (Source: CNN)
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