Alternative Headline: Darth Stupid and The Case Of The Missing Defense Secretary.
Washington remained in collective shock on Sunday, as more information trickled out about Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin being admitted to the hospital’s intensive care unit for days and failing to disclose it to the president, the national security adviser, members of Congress, and the public.
The lack of disclosure raised serious questions not just for Austin and his judgment, but also for President Joe Biden and how he could have been unaware that his defense secretary was partially incapacitated for several days — especially as military confrontation between U.S. troops and Iran-backed proxy groups is heating up in the Middle East, threatening a bigger crisis.
The U.S. had just last Wednesday warned Houthis to stop targeting U.S. military and commercial ships in the Red Sea, and the next day, the U.S. military conducted a drone strike that killed an Iran-backed militia leader in Iraq — raising questions now as to who ordered that strike.
Adding to the fiasco has been the Pentagon refusing to say why Austin was admitted to the hospital, citing a desire for “privacy.”
“I commit to doing better,” he said, adding, “But this is important to say: this was my medical procedure, and I take full responsibility for my decisions about disclosure.”
However, the statement did not explain why he had not told Biden, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. And a continuous drip of revelations has come out over the weekend, each seemingly worse than the one before.
On Saturday, CNN reported that Austin had not even told his own deputy — Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks — that he was hospitalized until Thursday, January 4, despite transferring some of his duties to her on January 2.
That information came to light after NBC News reported that Hicks was on vacation at the time in Puerto Rico, which had raised questions over what duties he had transferred to her, what she knew, and why she did not return to Washington immediately. CNN reported that Hicks opted to stay in Puerto Rico even after being informed of his hospitalization and after Austin reassumed full responsibilities on Friday.
Some DOD officials were reportedly told by Austin’s aides that he was working from home.
The lack of transparency has prompted outrage from Republicans and Democrats.
“Several questions remain unanswered including what the medical procedure and resulting complications were, what the Secretary’s current health status is, how and when the delegation of the Secretary’s responsibilities were made, and the reason for the delay in notification to the President and Congress,” Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL) and Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-WA) said in a joint statement.
“Transparency is vitally important. Sec. Austin must provide these additional details on his health and the decision-making process that occurred in the past week as soon as possible,” they added.
Several senators charged with oversight of the Pentagon called Austin’s dereliction “shocking.”
“We are learning more every hour about the Department’s shocking defiance of...
