United States: After his hospitalization, the head of the Pentagon promises more transparency

Lloyd Austin, the US Secretary of Defense, admitted on Saturday 6 January that he had failed to report his hospitalization, which was only made public belatedly, including at the White House according to several media outlets.

Lloyd Austin, the US Secretary of Defense (our illustration photo) admitted on Saturday, January 6, that he had failed to report his hospitalization at Walter Reed Military Hospital since January 1, 2024. AP - Cliff Owen

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Contrary to protocol, the hospitalization of Lloyd Austin, the head of the Pentagon since Monday, January 1, for health complications was only made public on the evening of Friday, January 5 by the Department of Defense. This drew sharp criticism from the Pentagon Journalists' Association. He was admitted to intensive care for four days, and remained in the hospital as of Saturday, Jan. 6, according to NBC News. The date of his release is still not known, a Defense Department spokesman said, saying that Austin had resumed "his duties" by Friday evening.

« I'm committed to doing better »

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and White House officials were not informed until four days after Austin was admitted to the hospital, Politico reported. Sullivan then notified President Joe Biden, and the U.S. Congress learned about it 15 minutes before the news was made public, according to the same source. "I recognize that I could have done a better job of ensuring that citizens were properly informed. I'm committed to doing better," Austin said from Walter Reed Military Hospital near Washington. "I take full responsibility for my decisions," he said in a statement, adding that he would be "back at the Pentagon soon."

President Joe Biden and his defense secretary spoke Saturday night, a White House official said, noting that the exchange was "warm." "The president has every confidence in Mr. Austin. He is looking forward to his return to the Pentagon," the official told AFP. Lloyd Austin was hospitalized "for complications that occurred as a result of a non-urgent medical procedure," Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said Friday night.

A 'scandal'

»

These delays in government communication have drawn strong criticism in the United States. "The secretary of defense is the key link in the chain of command between the president and the military, including the nuclear chain of command, when the most important decisions need to be made in minutes," Republican Senator Tom Cotton, a member of the Armed Services Committee, said in a statement Saturday. "If this article is true, there must be consequences for this shocking failure," he said.

For its part, the Pentagon Journalists' Association expressed "significant concern" in a letter, saying delaying the announcement for days until "late in the evening on a Friday is a scandal." "At any moment," Assistant Defence Minister Kathleen Hicks, who is authorized to assume the minister's duties if he is unable to do so, was "ready to act," Ryder said. She "made routine decisions this week on behalf of" Austin, a Pentagon spokesman told AFP afterwards.

Hyper-tense context

The hospitalization of Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin comes at a time of high tensions for the United States in Ukraine, and in the Middle East, in connection with the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have also stepped up attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea, while other groups in Iraq and Syria have targeted U.S. forces based in those countries with missiles and drones.

(With AFP)

Read alsoUkraine: Lloyd Austin's surprise visit to reassure Kiev about the solidity of American support

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