![US Secretary of Defense says he is responsible for secret hospitalization](https://i-invdn-com.investing.com/trkd-images/LYNXMPEK06007_L.jpg)
![US Secretary of Defense says he is responsible for secret hospitalization](https://i-invdn-com.investing.com/trkd-images/LYNXMPEK06007_L.jpg)
©Reuters. File Photo: U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III participates in a virtual Red Sea Security Summit held at NAVCENT Headquarters in Manama, Bahrain, December 19, 2023.Chad McNeely/Secretary of Defense Public Affairs Office/Handout via Reuters
Written by Phil Stewart and Jeff Mason
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement on Saturday that he took „full responsibility“ for the secrecy surrounding his week-long hospitalization for an as-yet-unspecified medical condition.
Austin, 70, was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on New Year's Day for what the Pentagon said was „complications associated with a recent elective medical procedure,“ a fact the Pentagon kept secret for five days. Ta.
Sen. Roger Wicker, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, criticized the Pentagon for not promptly notifying Congress about such issues as required by law.
But it's unclear how widely this information was shared even within President Joe Biden's administration. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Biden was contacted Thursday night. Still, Biden maintained his confidence in Austin, and the two met on Saturday night, another U.S. official said.
Austin is at the top of the U.S. military's chain of command, directly below Biden, and his job requires him to be available at a moment's notice to respond to any type of national security crisis.
It remains unclear to what extent Mr. Austin's duties were delegated to his deputy, Kathleen Hicks, or whether Mr. Austin was involved in key decisions in his absence.
The Pentagon has not yet released details about whether Austin has lost consciousness over the past week, why he is being treated, or when he will be discharged from the hospital.
„I recognize that we could have done a better job of ensuring the public had the right information, and I am committed to doing better,“ Austin said in a written statement.
„But this is important: This is my medical procedure, and I take full responsibility for any disclosure decisions.“
Wicker cited past failures to promptly release information on national security incidents, such as the appearance of Chinese reconnaissance balloons over the U.S. last year, and said the latest episode could raise public pressure on the Biden administration. He said it further eroded trust.
„When one of this country's two national military authorities is unable to accomplish its mission, military families, members of Congress, and the American people have a right to know the full extent of the situation,“ Wicker said in a statement.
A spokesperson said Saturday that Mr. Austin returned to normal work Friday night but remains hospitalized.
In a letter to Pentagon officials Friday evening, the Pentagon Press Association criticized the Pentagon's secrecy, saying Austin is a public figure and has no right to claim medical privacy in this situation. did.
He also noted that even the president of the United States has made clear when he must delegate duties for medical treatment.
„Keeping Americans informed about their health status is especially important at a time when threats to U.S. service members in the Middle East are increasing and the United States plays a critical national security role in the wars in Israel and Ukraine.“ and the decision-making ability of the top defense leaders.“
Reuters correspondent Phil Stewart is a member of the association's board of directors.
Military Reporters and Editors (MRE), a nonprofit organization for journalists who cover the U.S. military, said the decision to publish information only on Friday nights, which typically have fewer online readers, was an attempt to „obfuscate.“ „We are continuing the worst tradition of obfuscation.“ Opacity. ”
„This violates the intent and spirit of the Department of Defense's own intelligence principles and does not meet standards for the release of information to government officials who are unable to perform their duties,“ MRE said in a statement.