US defense minister under criticism for hospital admission without informing

US Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin has been criticized for his unannounced hospitalization because he did not inform the White House and Congress in time, and during the Middle East situation, he allegedly killed key officials. Kept in the dark about his health.

According to the French news agency AFP, Lloyd Austin was admitted to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on January 1 due to medical complications. The Pentagon did not make any public announcement in this regard for four days and other senior government figures were not informed in time.

The 70-year-old defense minister entered the hospital for treatment at a time when the United States is trying to contain the fallout from Israel’s armed war on Gaza and violence against American forces in Iraq and Syria, as well as in the Red Sea. There are also incidents of attacks on international ships.

Ian Bremer, president of political risk firm Eurasia Group, said Monday that given the chaos in the Middle East, the idea that “the defense secretary has been in the hospital for four days and (President) Joe Biden is clueless is surprising.”

Bremer said that in this situation the president has an opportunity to remove Lloyd Austin, but the White House is standing by the defense secretary.

Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters Monday that Lloyd Austin underwent surgery on Dec. 22 and was discharged the next day, but had been in “severe pain” since Jan. 1 and was rushed by ambulance to Walter. Reid was taken to the National Military Medical Center.

Pete Ryder said Austin had delegated some work to Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks on January 2 but was not told for two days that he was in the hospital.

U.S. National Security Advisor Jack Sullivan was also notified of Lloyd Austin’s illness on January 4, while the White House was informed the following day, and the Pentagon made a public announcement the same day.

A Pentagon spokesman said that Lloyd Austin’s chief of staff was ‘suffering from the flu, which delayed these notifications.’

He said: ‘We are currently reviewing how we can improve these notification procedures, including White House and Congressional notifications.’

Pete Ryder also said he was informed of Lloyd Austin’s hospitalization on January 2, adding: ‘I don’t think I have the authority to disclose information about the condition of the Defense Secretary. That is, until we get more information.’

The lack of notification has drawn criticism from Congress, and some Republican lawmakers have called for Lloyd Austin to be removed from office.

Calling for Lloyd Austin’s immediate resignation, Rep. Alice Stefanik said in a statement: ‘It is shocking and absolutely unacceptable that the Department of Defense waited several days to notify the President, the National Security Council and the American people. .’

Former President Donald Trump also said in a post on social media that ‘Lloyd Austin should be fired immediately for inappropriate professional conduct and dereliction of duty.’

However, the White House has backed him and press secretary Karen Jean-Pierre says the president has full confidence in Lloyd Austin.

Pete Ryder also said that ‘Lloyd Austin is still in hospital but no longer in intensive care and has resumed his full duties, with no intention of resigning.’

“Nothing is more important to the Secretary of Defense and the Department (of Defense) than the trust and confidence of the American people,” a Pentagon spokesman said. We will continue to work hard on a daily basis to earn that trust.’

Meanwhile Lloyd Austin said in a statement on Saturday that it ‘takes full responsibility for its decisions about reporting’ and admitted it ‘could have done a better job of adequately informing the public.’

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