U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was admitted to the ICU due to illness, but he kept it a secret, and even President Biden was concealed. The matter is strange, and there are questions about the relationship between the White House and the military.
Recently, Austin was transferred to the intensive care unit due to complications after a minor operation, but it was not until 3 days later that the news of Austin's illness reached Biden's ears. It took so long for the Pentagon to notify the White House, and White House officials were shocked by this.
Austin later issued a statement saying that he would take "full responsibility" for the controversy, while saying that his health was improving and that he looked forward to returning to the Pentagon. However, Austin did not elaborate on his condition and treatment. Austin has since resumed full duty but remains in the hospital for treatment.
The public opinion storm over the matter did not subside with Austin's statement and the resumption of his duties as defense secretary, but only raised doubts about the details.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin
The U.S. Secretary of Defense's position in the U.S. military chain of command, second only to the U.S. president, is an important hub between the White House and the military, and one of his responsibilities is to respond immediately to any form of national security crisis anytime, anywhere, such as in the case of a sudden event such as the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the U.S. defense secretary must make a decision in a matter of minutes.
In the past few days of Austin's "disappearance," his itinerary was kept strictly secret, and many people in the White House, Congress, and even the Pentagon did not know that he had been hospitalized, and it was not known who would assume the duties of defense secretary during this period. That is, at that time, the position of US Secretary of Defense was in a vacuum, and there was no one to replace him.
If there were a sudden event during Austin's illness, such as a conflict on the Korean Peninsula, there would be a complete disconnect between the U.S. military and the White House, and the U.S. would probably not be able to respond militarily in a timely manner.
Because of this, the White House is very dissatisfied with Austin's behavior, on the one hand, because he keeps his health problems secret, which may lead to serious losses of national interests, and on the other hand, it shows the serious opacity of the Pentagon, and even the top leaders of the United States cannot control its information in time.
The White House may not know everything about the Pentagon
After the incident, Austin concealed whether the illness was done by himself or deliberately by the Pentagon, and there was no answer for a while.
If it's the former, it may be that Austin is thinking about his personal interests, and he is worried that he will be considered incompetent for the post of defense secretary because of his physical problems, especially if he is replaced during his illness, and given his 70-year-old age, Austin may not even be able to return to the Pentagon later and be forced to retire. His thirst for power may have been the main reason for his secrecy.
If it is the latter, the situation is much more serious. In fact, it is impossible for the Pentagon to be unaware of such a big matter, and it is most likely that it will be deliberately concealed. The Pentagon's withholding of information from the White House highlights a certain disagreement and deep mistrust between the two institutions. These contradictions are manifested in the post of secretary of defense, and it is clear that the Pentagon still wants Austin to remain in the position of defense secretary, and the withholding of information is due to the fear that the White House will take advantage of the opportunity to change people. And this also seems to indicate that there is some kind of contradiction between the Pentagon and the White House, or between Austin and Biden.
Austin vs. Biden
There are already signs of conflict between Austin and Biden. When Biden decided to withdraw troops from Afghanistan in 2021, the U.S. military had obvious dissatisfaction, and Austin publicly disagreed with Biden, making Biden passive in public opinion.
After the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Biden once criticized Austin's aggressive rhetoric, fearing that it would involve the United States in a direct conflict with Russia.
Many details show that although Austin was appointed by Biden, he represents the hawkish forces in the United States behind him and is not directly controlled by Biden. The two sides have serious differences of interest in terms of policies and views.
Of course, this is not the first time that the contradiction between the US president and the secretary of defense has been put on the table. Trump vs. Esper, Obama vs. Ashton Carter, all the same. Although the White House and the Pentagon cannot be said to be "face and heart discord," there is indeed a gap between the two, and this is also a hidden danger that can be big or small.