(Washington) US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, whose secret hospitalizations had sparked controversy, was again admitted to hospital on Sunday and delegated his duties to his deputy, the Pentagon announced.
The official, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer and recently underwent surgery, was taken to a military facility in suburban Washington for “an urgent bladder problem,” a spokesperson said in a statement. word from the Pentagon, Pat Ryder.
“At approximately 4:55 p.m. today, Secretary Austin transferred duties” of the department to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks. She assumes “the functions” of Mr. Austin, continued this spokesperson, adding that Mr. Austin was still receiving treatment and that the White House and Congress had been informed.
Hours earlier, the Pentagon said Mr. Austin had “arrived at the hospital with the necessary classified and unclassified communications systems” to carry out his duties.
During a press conference on 1er February, the Secretary of Defense apologized for having kept his cancer a secret, a matter which caused an uproar in the country.
Because in the middle of an election year and while the United States, the world’s leading military power, is closely following two major conflicts in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip, Mr. Austin was operated on and hospitalized twice in December and January without President Joe Biden knows nothing about it.
“It was a mistake,” admitted the secretary during this press briefing to which he presented himself with a still stiff gait.
Mr. Austin said he had apologized “directly” to Mr. Biden and that Mr. Biden had responded “with grace.”
The affair had caused astonishment even in the Democratic camp and sparked calls from Republicans for the resignation of Lloyd Austin.
This time, his ministry promptly communicated about his new hospitalization: the media were notified about two hours after his departure for Walter Reed Hospital.
The controversy over his health problems came as U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria are regularly targeted by attacks from Iran-backed fighters, according to Washington.