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Lloyd Austin noted this in a statement issued on Saturday, five days after his hospitalization, which President Joe Biden was also reportedly not informed of.
The Defense Secretary stressed that he took responsibility for the way the information was provided and would do better in this area in the future, but also wrote that “this was part of the medical procedure that affected him.” At the same time, he thanked the doctors for the care and said he was preparing to continue his work to return to the Pentagon.
Lloyd Austin's hospitalization since Monday was acknowledged late Friday by a Pentagon spokesman, who noted that the secretary had been at Walter Reed Army Hospital near Washington since January 1. Pat Ryder said the portfolio manager had to be treated for complications after the planned surgical intervention. The spokesman did not provide information about his minister's condition on Friday, referring to the “changing situation.”
According to information received from the authorities, Lloyd Austin received intensive care.
Meanwhile, Deputy Secretary of State Kathleen Hicks, who spent the week on vacation in Puerto Rico, took command of the department that controls the United States armed forces.
According to press information, the issue caused a conflict between the administration’s leadership, especially since President Joe Biden was only informed of it by his National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, on Thursday afternoon after he learned of the Secretary of Defense’s stay in the hospital.
The Pentagon Press Association, an organization of defense policy journalists, objected to Pentagon secrecy in a letter of protest. The fact that “the Secretary is at Walter Reed and that the Pentagon is alerting the public just four days later is outrageous,” they wrote. They added that at a time when threats to American soldiers serving in the Middle East are increasing, and at a time when the United States plays an important role in the wars in Ukraine and Israel, it is especially important for the American public to be aware of the validity of the resolution. Which makes the Prime Defense number one ability.
The Pentagon's actions to conceal Lloyd Austin's hospitalization contradict the generally accepted practice of providing information about the US President and senior officials.
Lloyd Austin, 70 years old, retired in 2016 after 41 years of military service with the rank of general, and since January 2021 he has served as Secretary of Defense in the administration of President Joe Biden.
Cover image credit: Edward Diller/Getty Images
