According to US media reports, US Secretary of Defense Austin was diagnosed with prostate cancer in early December last year, and on December 22, he underwent surgery. But then complications followed, which led to his being taken to the hospital on 1 January.
Austin (data map, source: Washington Post)
However, the Pentagon did not notify the White House of the news until January 4, three days after Austin was hospitalized, and US President Joe Biden did not learn until the morning of January 9 that the reason for Austin's hospitalization was prostate cancer.
In other words, it is equivalent to Austin hiding his illness from Biden for a month, and there is a high probability that he did not "call in sick" for two hospitalizations before and after.
Why "no sick leave" is a mystery
Austin and his aides can certainly justify the Secretary of Defense's "attention to privacy" (Austin is indeed known for his attention to privacy, often avoiding the spotlight and unwilling to communicate with the media regularly), but as the "No. 2 person" in the US armed forces after the president, Austin's behavior of "not asking for sick leave" has surprised and puzzled the US military and political circles:
In terms of personal relationship, Austin and Biden have a very close personal relationship, when Austin was the supreme commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, Biden's late eldest son served as a military lawyer under him, so at least consider informing Biden;
Austin and Biden (data map)
Judging from the current situation, the continuation of the war in the Middle East, the tense situation on the Korean Peninsula, and the "decapitation operation" carried out by the US military against the leaders of the militia organizations in Iraq are all important matters concerning the United States and the Department of Defense at the moment, and the weight of the post of US Secretary of Defense is not ordinary, and it is obviously "irresponsible" to undertake the task of communicating between the White House and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and it involves the planning of the entire defense field. Although Austin temporarily handed over power to his deputy, Deputy Secretary of Defense Hicks, she traveled to Puerto Rico for a vacation before Austin was hospitalized, where she "topped the shift" for Austin.
In addition, in accordance with Title 5 of the United States Code, Section 3349, the heads of all administrative agencies are required to report job vacancies. For example, the Pentagon issued a statement hours after the Pentagon issued a statement hours after being hospitalized with a heart attack after becoming commander of the Marine Corps last October.
The responsibility lies with the chief of staff suffering from the flu?
Now, even if it is known that Austin is hospitalized with prostate cancer, the current health status of the Secretary of Defense, including medical procedures and complications caused by them, and whether or how long it will affect the performance of his duties, should be evaluated in advance.
The U.S. Department of Defense said on the 8th local time that it would conduct a 30-day review of Austin's hospitalization and the resulting transfer of authority and delayed notification.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby also said on the same day that the White House will review the relevant process and make changes as appropriate.
The Pentagon (data map, source: Xinhua News Agency)
Although Austin's "mysterious departure" has raised many questions, Austin's position seems safe for now.
CNN quoted White House officials as saying that Biden had a "cordial and friendly" conversation with Austin on the evening of the 6th, maintained "complete trust" in Austin, and looked forward to his return to work. In addition, Pentagon spokesman Ryder also confirmed to the media that "Austin has no plans to resign." Currently, Austin is still hospitalized but has resumed his duties.
Austin seems to have found a "man behind the blame" after staying in office - the Pentagon said that the person responsible for the accident was Austin's chief of staff, Kelly McGossamen: she had the flu in the past few days, so she failed to get the news to the White House.
Why did Biden keep Austin when he was angry?
Obviously, even if the "angry" Biden still does not want to lose Austin, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict still need the stability of the US military leadership, and Austin does know more about the Middle East, in his 41-year military career, the Middle East is strong, and he was the commander of the US Central Command, leading military operations against the extremist group "Islamic State" and so on.
In addition, it is also very difficult to "change generals" in the middle of an election year. With the presidential election just around the corner, Biden also wants to show support for his loyal subordinates. Austin is an "old ministry" that Biden has known since he was vice president, and the two have "spent countless hours together" in the White House Situation Room.
At the same time, Austin is the first African-American secretary of defense in U.S. history. Biden values the "groundbreaking" nomination, and Politico magazine reported that Biden is considering nominating the first female secretary of defense in U.S. history if he wins another presidential term, and Hicks is at the top of the list.
Trump
However, Austin's approach has drawn strong criticism from Republicans, who believe that the problem is not only that Austin is "off duty", but that key government departments are not aware of it. Former President Trump demanded that Austin be relieved of office.
What's more, Austin's "off-the-job" incident may even weaken Biden's campaign. Because this incident raises doubts not only about the transparency of Biden's administration, but also about whether Biden can control his cabinet.
Obviously, Austin is also aware of this possibility, so, in a statement on the 6th, Austin said that he understands that this incident raises concerns about "transparency" and that he should "do better" in ensuring that the public's right to know "correspondingly". "But the important thing is that this is my surgery and I take full responsibility for the decisions I make in terms of disclosure. ”
But for American politics, "taking responsibility" is not so easy.
Text: Reporter is cold