The blessing of the House is lopsided between the White House and the Pentagon. It is about the health of US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who announced on Tuesday after a long period of silence that he had prostate cancer. The case became a matter of national security because the White House remained unaware for weeks of what was happening in the Pentagon, a few miles away.
Since the beginning of this year, 70-year-old Austin has had to be treated in hospital due to complications following an operation at the end of December, although this only became known on January 7. No one in the US government, including President Joe Biden, knew about the failure of Austin, whose deputy Kathleen Hicks held the fort in the Pentagon.
Weeks of radio silence after the diagnosis in early December
Only after another delay did it become known on Tuesday what the Minister of Defense was suffering from: prostate cancer. This was discovered in early December and Austin underwent a “minimally invasive surgical procedure” shortly before Christmas. The minister recovered “without incident” and “returned home the next day,” according to the Walter Reed military hospital near Washington.
Complications of the New Year
But then complications arose, as has now been made public – belatedly, but still. On New Year’s Day, Austin was returned to the hospital with nausea and severe stomach, hip and leg pain, among other complaints. A urinary tract infection was diagnosed there. On January 2, Austin was transferred to the intensive care unit; according to the clinic, fluid accumulation in the abdominal cavity caused problems.
“No one in the White House knew about it.”
The American public, of course, knew nothing about it; even President Biden had no idea until January 9 that one of his most important ministers was seriously ill. “No one in the White House knew until this morning that Secretary Austin had prostate cancer,” John Kirby, director of communications for the National Security Council, said Tuesday.
Biden learned about Austin’s illness just a few hours before the general public. “This is not the way this should be done,” Kirby made clear. The president wants the government’s procedures for such cases to be investigated. It must be ensured that something like this does not happen again. As a cabinet member, everyone knows that this entails an obligation to be as transparent as possible.
Hospital: Cancer detected early, prognosis “excellent”
At the same time, Kirby conveyed Biden’s well wishes to the secretary of state and made it clear that the president wanted to remain in Austin. Medically speaking, there is currently nothing to say: the infection has now subsided, the patient is making progress and a “full recovery” can be expected, the hospital said. The disease was recognized early and the prognosis for recovery was “excellent”.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
