It was alleged that US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, concealed from the US President himself that he had been hospitalized since the first of the year due to complications during surgery. Joe Biden was not informed until Thursday, a day before the Pentagon announced the situation and said that although he remained hospitalized, Austin had resumed his duties. The president, who spoke Saturday afternoon with the defense secretary, maintains his confidence in the former general.
The secrecy surrounding the health of the second person in the US military chain of command – the first being the president himself – has drawn criticism. American soldiers were attacked by Iranian-backed militias, which launched drones and missiles against American bases in Iraq and Syria, and this has already prompted the Biden administration to respond with military operations. Furthermore, the country has played a crucial national security role in the wars in Ukraine and Israel.
“I realize I could have done a better job ensuring the public was properly informed. I am committed to doing better.”The Minister of Defense said in a statement issued on Saturday evening, acknowledging concerns about the transparency of this issue. “But it's important to say this: This was my own medical procedure and I take full responsibility for my decisions regarding disclosure.”“, he added in the same text.
Austin, 70, was admitted to Walter Reed Army Medical Center last Monday and remains hospitalized after complications from minor elective surgery. He even went through the ICU. No further details were provided about the reasons for the operation, due to privacy concerns, as Austin said he was improving and looked forward to returning to the Pentagon. However, there are no predictions about when it will be discharged. Despite being hospitalized, he resumed his duties on Friday evening.
The Department of Defense's second-in-command, Kathleen Hicks, took over the duties on an interim basis (as had actually happened while Austin was on leave and without communications), responsible for the country's 1.4 million active military personnel. The Pentagon confirmed that this was despite the fact that she was on vacation in Puerto Rico itself.
The problem is that it wasn't just the general public who wasn't aware of Austin's medical condition. Biden didn't learn about it until Thursday, after several Pentagon officials had been informed — until then they thought Austin would be on vacation. Others in the Pentagon did not find out until Friday, the same day members of Congress and senators were informed.
“The Secretary of Defense is the main link in the chain of command between the President and the ArmyRepublican Senator Tom Cotton said in a statement, defending the consequences of this situation, “including the nuclear chain of command, when the most important decision must be made in minutes.” The senator, a former soldier who participated in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, is a member of the Armed Services Committee. However, it is not true that the Minister of Defense has powers regarding the nuclear issue, as he only acts as an advisor to the President, and he is the only responsible person in this situation.
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