Defense Department spokesman Pat Ryder said the minister was receiving treatment at Walter Reed Army Hospital near Washington due to complications related to a planned surgical procedure.
He did not provide further details and justified withholding the information on the basis of privacy rights and the “ever-changing situation.” The spokesman added that it is not yet known when the minister will be released from the hospital, but he indicated that Lloyd Austin's condition is improving.
The Pentagon Press Association, an organization of defense policy journalists, objected to Pentagon secrecy in a letter of protest. As they write, the fact that “the Secretary was at Walter Reed for four days, but the Pentagon did not announce it publicly until Friday night, is disgraceful.”
They added that at a time when threats to American soldiers serving in the Middle East are increasing and the United States is taking significant national security actions related to the wars in Ukraine and Israel, it is especially important for the American public to be aware of the health situation. For its first defensive leader and its decision-making ability.
The Pentagon's operation to conceal Lloyd Austin's hospitalization runs counter to the general practice of the US President and senior officials, including Cabinet members.
70-year-old Lloyd Austin retired in 2016 after 41 years of military service With the rank of generalSince January 2021, he has been Minister of Defense in the administration of President Joe Biden.
(Cover photo by Lloyd Austin on May 25, 2023. Photo by Wayne McNamee/Getty Images)
Comprehensive analyses, world-changing questions, and visions for the future in one volume.
Follow Index on Facebook too!
