US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin stayed in the ICU for four days, so why did he dare not tell Biden? What kind of chain of suspicion has the White House formed? Will Austin step down because of this?
On January 6, local time in the United States, U.S. Secretary of Defense Austin suddenly released a brief statement with only 7 sentences, Austin said: "On the issue of ensuring the public's right to know, I should have done a better job, and I promised to do better in the future, but it should be pointed out that this is my medical treatment, and I will take full responsibility for the decision to keep it confidential." ”
Austin apologized to the public for his "secrecy" and at the same time took full responsibility and did not want to affect others.
Why did Austin suddenly apologize?
According to various reports, Austin made an appointment for an "elective operation" a year ago, the so-called "elective surgery" refers to those surgeries that can be performed at the appropriate time depending on the situation, generally speaking, this disease will not be particularly serious, but after the operation, Austin had complications and was admitted to the ICU on January 1, and was not out of danger until January 4.
It stands to reason that Austin's plight deserves sympathy, but combined with his position, his approach has made the United States very unhappy, because the US defense secretary kept the entire operation secret, and even the White House did not know about it.
According to White House officials, the White House only learned from the Pentagon on January 4 after Austin was transferred out of the ICU, that is, when Austin's life was hanging by a thread, all the top levels of the United States, including Biden, did not know, which is obviously very dangerous.
After learning the news, Sullivan, the assistant to the President of the United States for national security affairs, informed Biden of the news, as the last person to know, which undoubtedly made Biden very embarrassed.
First of all, Austin is a cabinet member personally promoted by Biden, considering that Austin has a close relationship with Biden's late son Beau Biden, Austin should be Biden's most trusted subordinate, but Austin's approach obviously does not trust Biden.
Second, U.S. officials have a history of announcing their status within 24 hours of health problems.
For example, when Biden was diagnosed with cancer in 2021, he immediately informed the public, and in March 2023, when Biden underwent surgery to remove cancer tissue, he also updated the situation in time and temporarily transferred presidential power to Vice President Harris.
Biden has no right to "keep secrets", but Austin has played with privileges, which obviously does not make sense.
In addition, Austin's move will directly affect the public support of the Biden cabinet.
At present, criticism of Austin has emerged from all walks of life, and at the same time, there are widespread doubts about whether Biden can control the cabinet.
Senator Roger Wick, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said military families, members of Congress and the American public should all know the full picture when one of the two national command bodies is unable to do its job.
The Pentagon Press Association also sent a letter criticizing the Department of Defense's secrecy work, mentioning that the United States military faces a growing threat in the Middle East, and the United States plays a key role in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
What needs to be pointed out is that Austin secretly handed over the power of the Secretary of Defense to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks during his hospitalization, but the latter's public itinerary is now on vacation in Puerto Rico, so the Pentagon's command system, during these four days, is actually in a vacuum.
But during the time Austin was admitted to the ICU, the U.S. military's actions did not stagnate, so Austin also faced a big question, that is, who gave these orders?
First, on January 4, Austin's last day in the ICU, the U.S. military airraided Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, against the "Popular Mobilization Group" that had been absorbed by the Iraqi government, killing a senior commander and several members of the group.
The move aroused strong dissatisfaction from the Iraqi government, and Iraqi Prime Minister Al-Sudani angrily denounced the US air strikes as "blatant aggression" and said that it had determined to "permanently end" the presence of the US-led coalition forces in Iraq.
So who gave the order for the air strikes on Baghdad, and who was responsible for the forced withdrawal of US troops from Iraq?
Second, the game between China and the United States in the South China Sea is unfolding.
On January 3 and 4, the U.S. military and the Philippines held joint patrols in the South China Sea, and the Southern Theater also carried out routine patrols in the South China Sea during the same period, and according to Philippine media reports, during the patrol, the U.S. and Philippine ships also encountered close escort from the PLA missile destroyer "Hefei" and the frigate "Huangshan".
It can be said that the scene at that time was in a state of tense confrontation, but no one expected that during the Sino-US maritime confrontation, the US military leader was lying in the ICU, so who gave the order to the US-Philippine joint patrol? If there is really friction between China and the United States, who in the US military can shoulder this responsibility?
Not only that, Sino-US military communication is steadily advancing, and the Chinese side has appointed a new defense minister a few days ago, and if nothing else, the dialogue between the Chinese and US defense ministers should be held at a later date, but the provocative actions of the US military in the South China Sea have undoubtedly had a negative impact on the relaxation of Sino-US relations.
Finally, does Austin still have what it takes to remain in the post of Secretary of Defense?
The reason why Austin chose to keep the whole process secret is actually to keep his position as secretary of defense, and he does not want to be removed or vacated due to physical reasons.
Although Austin has been tight-lipped about his illness and emphasized that he has returned to his duties, judging from public information, Austin is still in the hospital and his health is obviously in doubt.
And don't forget that Austin is 70 years old, and according to the Lancet research report, nearly 40% of elderly patients will have postoperative complications, and within 30 days after "elective surgery", elderly patients have a high mortality rate.
Austin spent 4 days in the ICU, indicating that his complications are very serious, whether this has irreversible damage to his organs is not known, but whether it is from the professionalism of handling things, or the expectation of physical condition, and the influence of public opinion, considering the above three factors, Austin may face a violent storm from the White House and the American people.
Will the US military usher in a new round of reshuffle? We might as well wait and see what happens.