US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has broken his silence after failing to disclose he was in the hospital while the country was facing national security situations in Ukraine and Middle East.
In a rare public statement since his December 22 hospitalization, he spoke out as the United States rained bombs on Iran-backed targets across Yemen.
‘In light of the illegal, dangerous, and destabilizing Iranian-backed Houthi attacks against U.S. and international vessels and commercial vessels from many countries lawfully transiting the Red Sea, today the militaries of the United States and the United Kingdom, with support from , Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands, conducted strikes against military targets in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen,’ he said in a statement.
‘This action is intended to disrupt and degrade the Houthis’ capabilities to endanger mariners and threaten global trade in one of the world’s most critical waterways. Today’s coalition action sends a clear message to the Houthis that they will bear further costs if they do not end their illegal attacks,’ Austin added.
Austin cited the ‘more than two dozen attacks’ made by the Houthis since November 19 and the need for a coalition to uphold the rules-based international order.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has broken his silence after failing to disclose he was in the hospital while the country was facing national security situations in Ukraine and Middle East
Austin was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on December 22 after ‘consultation with his medical team’ due to a prostate cancer diagnosis.
He then underwent a ‘minimally invasive surgical procedure called a prostatectomy to treat and cure prostate cancer,’ according to a statement from the hospital. His cancer was ‘diagnosed early and his prognosis is excellent,’ the statement said.
But he then suffered complications on January 1 that required an ambulance to take him back to the hospital. His complications included ‘nausea with severe abdominal, leg and hip pain.’
The early diagnosis was a urinary tract infection but further examination showed Austin, 70, had a fluid build up in his abdomen that was impairing the function of his small intestines.
The infection was treated by a tube placed through is nose that went down to his stomach. It has cleared, the statement said, and Austin ‘continues to make progress.’
He ‘never lost consciousness and never underwent general anesthesia,’ the statement said, although Austin did undergo anesthesia for the December 22 surgery.
Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks was given Austin’s powers at that time but not told the reason.
President Joe Biden was only informed on Tuesday that Austin had cancer.
Pentagon officials also didn’t tell the White House for four days that Austin had returned to the hospital on Jan. 1 after experiencing severe pain. He was taken there by ambulance.
A Pentagon official blamed the communications breakdown on ‘a screw up because of people being out of the office.’
Austin Chief of staff Kelly Magsamen had the flu and public affairs chief Chris Meagher was at doctors’ appointments with his pregnant wife, who gave birth to their first child on Friday.