Lloyd Austin and the top secret shelter, there is still controversy

It continues to arouse reactions and comments and to generate discussion choice of US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin not to give public news of his for a few days hospitalized on New Year's Eve: President Biden himself was only informed after the fact and his conciliatory tone after being informed did not silence the dissenting voices.

Biden had a “cordial conversation” with Austin last night, according to a US official. “The president has complete confidence in Secretary Austin,” he added. And a National Security Council spokesperson echoed this, noting that Biden “looks forward to his return to the Pentagon.”

But the case prompted a shock reaction among White House staff left unaware that the Pentagon chief was facing complications following a non-urgent medical procedure. National Security Council staff were surprised to see the Pentagon take so long to inform them of Austin's status: the news was made public on Friday evening, when the Pentagon contacted Congress 15 minutes before issuing a statement.

Austin took all the blame yesterday: “I could have done better to ensure the public was adequately informed. I am committed to doing better. But this is important to say: it was my medical hospitalization and I take full responsibility for my decisions on disclosure.” For Chuck Hagel, the former senator and former secretary of defense during the Obama administration, the Pentagon absolutely had to communicate to the National Security Council news on Austin's condition and whereabouts. “The Council is part of the team, it's part of the family,” he said during a brief interview. “The president needs to know where members of his cabinet are in every moment”.

Republican Sen. Tom Cotton, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a statement that Austin “must promptly address” the question of why the White House was not notified of his hospitalization for days. And colleague Roger Wicker called Austin's silence “unacceptable” and called for a briefing on the matter.

Austin's hospitalization comes at a sensitive time for the military, which faces almost daily attacks from Iranian-backed groups in the Middle East. On Thursday, U.S. forces killed the leader of a terrorist group in Iraq that was targeting American personnel in the Middle East. Austin, along with the president, approved the attack before his hospitalization.

There is no standard protocol for when to announce a defense secretary's hospitalization or temporary inability to do his or her job, according to Brad Carson, a former undersecretary and chief management officer of the Army. It really should depend on the severity of Austin's condition. If he were incapacitated, Congress would surely want to know. But if he were still able to make decisions, even under the supervision of a doctor, “I don't think Congress should be informed in these cases.” However, 'Politico' recalls, when General Eric Smith, commandant of the Marine Corps, was hospitalized after a heart attack on October 29, the Department of Defense released a statement within a few hours.