US Defense Secretary Austin cancels travel after hospitalisation
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US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin was set to depart for the Nato meeting of defense ministers in Brussels taking place on Feb 15.
PHOTO: AFP
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WASHINGTON – US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has canceled a trip to Brussels where he was set to take part in meetings with other Nato defense ministers, a US official said on Feb 12, after the Pentagon chief was admitted to a critical care unit and had to transfer his duties to his deputy.
Austin, 70, was taken to Walter Reed Military Medical Center on Feb 11 for “symptoms suggesting an emergent bladder issue.” Austin had failed to disclose a prostate cancer surgery
Austin was set to depart for the Nato meeting of defense ministers in Brussels taking place on Feb 15 and a separate meeting with allies on Feb 14 on how to continue supporting Ukraine in countering Russia’s invasion.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the meeting on Ukraine’s defense needs, known as the Ukraine contact group, would be held virtually.
It was unclear how long Austin would remain in the hospital, but he has transferred his duties to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks.
Austin’s secrecy during his hospitalisations in December and January had triggered a political uproar. Republicans accused him of dereliction of duty. President Joe Biden, a Democrat, has said he has confidence in Austin despite what the president agreed was a lapse in judgment.
Earlier this month, Austin apologized for failing to tell Biden and senior staff about his cancer diagnosis ahead of time, adding that the health scare was a “gut punch” that had shaken him.
The most recent hospitalisation was publicly announced soon after he was taken by his security detail.
He is scheduled to testify before Congress on Feb 29 about the situation.
Lawmakers called for the Pentagon to provide answers on why so many officials were kept in the dark. Mr Biden said on Jan 12 that he still had confidence in Mr Austin. But when the President was asked whether it had been a lapse in judgment for the Defence Secretary not to have informed him that he had been out of commission, Mr Biden said “yes”.
Mr Austin later apologised during a televised news briefing.
General Ryder said the Pentagon would provide an update on Mr Austin’s condition as soon as possible.
Mr Austin is a retired four-star general who led forces in Iraq and is the first African-American defence secretary in the US. A commanding presence at well over 1.83m tall, he is an intensely private person who eschews the spotlight, which he said played into his decision to keep the cancer diagnosis secret.
But he admitted that “taking this kind of job means losing some of the privacy that most of us expect. The American people have a right to know if their leaders are facing health challenges that might affect their ability to perform their duties, even temporarily.”
The undisclosed absences – as well as this current hospital stay – come at a time when the United States faces a spiralling crisis in the Middle East, with American forces in Iraq and Syria facing near-daily attacks from Iran-backed militants in retaliation for Washington’s steadfast support of Israel.
The US’ top defence official is also a key figure in attempts by the Biden administration to maintain support for Ukraine’s fight against Russian invasion. He was scheduled to travel to Brussels for a Feb 14 meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group. It was not clear if his hospitalisation would affect those travel plans. NYTIMES, REUTERS, AFP
