On January 1, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was hospitalized in Washington, D.C. due to complications from a recent elective medical procedure.
“On the evening of January 1, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center due to complications from a recent elective medical procedure. His recovery is progressing well and he expects to return to full duty today. The Deputy Secretary of Defense has always stood ready to act on behalf of the Secretary of Defense and exercise his authority as needed,” the Pentagon said in a statement Friday.
Austin: I'm going to do better
On Saturday, Lloyd Austin himself spoke, admitting that he “understands the concerns of the American public” and said that he is “committed to doing better.” “I also understand the media's concerns about transparency and realize that I could do better to ensure the public is properly informed.” I am ready to do better,” he said in a statement.
“I am very happy to have recovered and look forward to returning to the Pentagon soon. (…) I take full responsibility for my decisions regarding the disclosure of information,” he added.
USA. Pentagon under fire
On Sunday, US congressmen expressed concern over the Pentagon's concealment of Lloyd Austin's health condition. As reported by the Reuters news agency, although the Minister of Defense has been in intensive care since January 1, US President Joe Biden learned about it only on the evening of January 4.
“Keeping this secret, when the United States is grappling with so many national security crises, goes against normal practice in dealing with the president and other senior US officials and Cabinet members,” the Associated Press noted.
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