Lloyd Austin, US Secretary of Defense, suffers from prostate cancer

Revealed, at least in part, the mystery surrounding the hospitalization of US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. The head of the Pentagon suffers from prostate cancer and his admission since January 1, which he kept hidden for three days even from President Joe Biden himself, was due to an infection after a surgical operation related to that disease and to which the December 22, as revealed by the Walter Reed military medical center, where he remains admitted. But the White House has acknowledged that Biden has not learned so far of the nature of his secretary's illness.

“No one in the White House knew that Secretary Austin had cancer until this Tuesday,” presidential spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre acknowledged in her daily press conference, a few minutes after the Walter Reed announcement. Initially, the Pentagon had indicated that the first operation had been optional, that is, it was not medically necessary.

The notification from the military hospital has come almost a week after the Pentagon and Austin himself have been subjected to numerous criticisms for the delay in communicating about the state of health of the soldier, second in the US military chain of command. , only behind Biden himself. Although the four-star general was admitted on Monday the 1st, he only notified the White House three days later. The first public statement about the hospitalization was released on Friday the 5th. Her second, Kathleen Hicks, in Puerto Rico, assumed some of her duties, but she was also not aware of the situation from the first moment.

The White House, however, insists that it maintains its confidence in the military man, a man with an introverted personality who does not like to divulge details of his private life. President Biden plans to continue with Austin at the head of the Pentagon at least until the end of his first term next January, Jean-Pierre has assured.

“Obviously, prostate cancer and its treatments are deeply personal,” said Pentagon spokesman General Pat Ryder, in an attempt to justify the failure to communicate regarding the health status of his superior.

The medical report from Walter Reed reports an improvement in Austin's health. “His infection has been cured. “He continues to make progress and we expect a full recovery, although it may be a slow process,” the center said in a statement distributed by the Pentagon.

The cancer treatment he is undergoing left the general with severe abdominal, hip and leg pain, according to the hospital. After being diagnosed with a urinary tract infection, he was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit on January 2. “A closer examination revealed the accumulation of abdominal fluid that made it difficult for his small intestine to function. This resulted in a buildup of his intestinal contents, which was treated by placing a tube through his nose to drain his stomach,” explain Trauma Director John Maddox and Director of the Walter Reed Prostate Disease Research Center. , Gregory Chesnut, signatories of the statement.

The Biden Administration has announced a review of protocols on communication for cases of illness. Until now, although in the words of National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, government representatives are “expected” to report their location, the presidential office only carries out a cursory check each morning, which is limited to checking the city or to the country in which they are located.

The Pentagon has also announced a review of its own procedures, which will last 30 days. That examination, according to Ryder, will help determine what can be improved in communication and what time is most appropriate to inform the public. “Clearly, we could have done better, and we will do better in the future. We have learned our lesson,” the spokesperson stressed.

In Austin's case, the lack of transparency has been more striking because his responsibility as second in the chain of command requires him to be available at any time in the event of a threat to national security. And the United States is closely monitoring events in Ukraine, where Russia has stepped up its offensive, and in the Middle East, where the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza threatens to spread throughout the region.

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