United States Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, on Saturday (Jan 7) released a statement taking “full responsibility” for failing to disclose a recent and ongoing week-long hospitalisation, the reason for which remains shrouded in secrecy. The statement comes amid reports that top White House officials, including President Joe Biden, were in the dark that he was ill and unable to carry out his duties during this time.
Week-long hospitalisation hidden
The 70-year-old was admitted on Monday (Jan 1) to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for what the Pentagon has said were “complications following a recent elective medical procedure.”
The Department of Defense waited until Friday (Dec 5) evening to make the announcement, a breach of standard protocol at a time when Washington is embroiled in two wars – the Israel-Hamas war and the Russia-Ukraine war.
Pentagon spokesperson said that its chief resumed “full duties” Friday evening, but remained in the hospital.
Several American media reports citing sources have also claimed that not only was the hospitalisation hidden from the public but also the US president for days.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, an American official told Reuters that Biden was only informed on Thursday evening, a day before the Pentagon released the statement.
However, according to a second US official as per Reuters, Biden maintained confidence in Austin and the two spoke on Saturday evening.
“I recognize I could have done a better job ensuring the public was appropriately informed. I commit to doing better,” said Austin, in a statement.
He added, “But this is important to say: this was my medical procedure, and I take full responsibility for my decisions about disclosure.” Austin said he will be “returning to the Pentagon soon.”
Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks was prepared to step in during Austin’s illness, and made some routine decisions on his behalf during the time, a Defense Department spokesperson told AFP.
Notably, Austin sits below Biden at the top of the chain of command of the US military and his duties often require him to be available at a moment’s notice to respond to any national security-related crisis.
Secrecy garners backlash
Politico was among the first of many media outlets to report that Austin had been in the hospital for three days before Pentagon officials told National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and other top White House officials.
According to Politico, Sullivan then informed Biden. It also said that Congress found out about Austin’s hospitalisation 15 minutes before Friday evening’s public statement.
The apparent cover-up of Austin’s hospitalisation has led Republican lawmakers to criticise Democrat Biden’s administration and have since demanded an explanation.
Top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Roger Wicker, accused the Pentagon of failing to inform Congress immediately about such matters and said that the incident further eroded the public’s trust in the Biden administration.
He also cited past failures of the current administration to quickly disclose information about national security incidents, including the appearance of a Chinese spy balloon over the US last year.
“When one of the country’s two National Command Authorities is unable to perform their duties, military families, Members of Congress, and the American public deserve to know the full extent of the circumstances,” said Wicker in a statement.
The Pentagon Press Association which comprises of journalists who cover the Defense Department, in a statement expressed “significant concerns” over the apparent cover-up, saying that Austin was a public figure who had no claim to medical privacy in such a situation.
It added, “At a time when there are growing threats to U.S. military service members in the Middle East and the U.S. is playing key national security roles in the wars in Israel and Ukraine, it is particularly critical for the American public to be informed about the health status and decision-making ability of its top defense leader.”
(With inputs from agencies)
