The U.S. Defense Department will launch an independent investigation into two long-secret hospitalizations of Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin, who is suffering from prostate cancer, according to an internal memo released Thursday.
• Also read: Secretly hospitalized, the American Secretary of Defense under fire from criticism
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“The purpose of this review is to examine the roles, processes, procedures, responsibilities and actions related to hospitalizations of the Secretary of Defense between December 2023 and January 2024,” the text says.
Lloyd Austin, 70, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in early December. He underwent surgery under general anesthesia on December 22nd and was hospitalized again from January 1st due to complications.
That diagnosis and those two hospitalizations were only announced in recent days to the country's highest authorities, starting with Democratic President Joe Biden, causing an outcry in the press and among Republicans in the middle of an election year.
The Pentagon investigation, led by an independent inspector general, will also assess whether current procedures at the Defense Department are “sufficient to ensure appropriate, timely notification and effective transfer of authority in the event of illness” or whether they are unavailable to senior officials “says the internal memo.
The controversy, deeply embarrassing for the head of state, comes at a time when the world's leading military power is embroiled in several major conflicts, from Ukraine to the Middle East.
While the White House acknowledged that this situation was “not ideal,” the president maintained his “confidence” in his secretary, his spokespeople said.
However, the White House has also ordered a review of the rules that apply in the event of the incapacity of high-ranking officials.