Pentagon, mystery about Austin's hospitalisation: Biden was not informed
The Secretary of Defence takes 'full responsibility' for the incident. The American public expresses grave concern over the incident
2' min read
2' min read
There is a mystery in Washington about the hospitalisation of US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, who takes full responsibility for the incident. Not even President Joe Biden has been informed by the Pentagon of his hospitalisation. This was revealed by Politico, citing two US executives. According to the site, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, along with other senior White House officials, did not learn of Austin's hospitalisation until three days later and immediately informed the commander in chief. Sources said it was highly unlikely that Austin had privately communicated the news to Biden before Sullivan was informed. "If Sullivan didn't know, neither could the president," said one of them. "Who would have told him about Austin's condition if not Sullivan? And if someone had told the president, Sullivan would have been his first call," he added.
Austin took 'full responsibility' for keeping his hospitalisation secret for several days, in the midst of the war in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip. 'I recognise,' he wrote in a note, 'that I could have done a better job ensuring that the public was properly informed. I am committed to doing better. But it is important to say that this was my medical procedure and I take full responsibility for my decisions regarding disclosure'.
The association of journalists covering the Pentagon expressed in a letter to the US Defence Department 'grave concerns' about the secrecy surrounding Lloyd Austin's hospitalisation, saying that delaying the announcement for days until 'late Friday evening is a scandal. The public has a right to know when members of the US cabinet are hospitalised, under anaesthesia, or when they are delegated tasks following a medical procedure,' the association stressed. Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder, for his part, assured that 'at all times Deputy Defence Secretary Kathleen Hicks was prepared to act and use the Secretary of State's prerogatives if necessary'', without specifying whether this was the case.
