January 08, (THEWILL) – United States Secretary of Defence, Lloyd Austin, has admitted a secret hospitalisation, saying, “I take full responsibility for my decisions about disclosure.”
70-year-old Austin, a retired four-star general, who became the first African-American defence secretary in 2020, was admitted on New Year’s Day to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland for “complications following a recent elective medical procedure,” a fact the Defence Department kept under wraps for five days.
The Pentagon did not inform the White House National Security Council or top adviser Jake Sullivan of Austin’s hospitalisation until Thursday. Even senior Biden administration leaders and members of Congress were unaware.
The Deputy Secretary of Defence, Kathleen Hicks, who stepped in on Tuesday, to help during Austin’s time in the hospital, was also not aware of his hospitalisation at the time until Thursday.
In a statement on Saturday evening, Austin took responsibility for the delays in notification.
“I recognise I could have done a better job ensuring the public was appropriately informed. I commit to doing better.
“But this is important to say: this was my medical procedure, and I take full responsibility for my decisions about disclosure,” said Austin, acknowledging the concerns about transparency.
In his statement, Austin said he is on the mend and is looking forward to returning to the Pentagon soon.
