The "No. 2 man" of the national armed forces, second only to **, mysteriously disappeared for a few days, and ** did not know anything, and the Congress was even more kept in ......the dark
You must know that this figure is a key link in the chain of command between ** and the military - including the nuclear ** chain of command, and its importance to *** can be imagined.
Listen to the smack-dropping script, which is actually staged at the beginning of 2024.
What shocked many people even more was that the incident took place in the United States, which claims to be the world's number one military power. However, some people don't think it's surprising at all, because the United States is a place where strange incidents occur frequently, and there are many chaos, so it's not surprising.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was admitted to the intensive care unit on January 1 due to complications after surgery, according to politico, a political news in the United States. U.S. affairs assistant Jake Sullivan and other senior White House aides did not learn about the matter until the Department of Defense briefed on the 4th. Then, Sullivan reported to Biden in the United States.
According to the words of the United States, it is "highly unlikely" that Austin will pass Sullivan to convey the message to Biden privately, which means that Biden is unlikely to know before Sullivan.
The Pentagon did not make the news public until the evening of Jan. 5 local time, and notified Congress about 15 minutes before the public statement. Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder issued a brief press release on the 5th, saying that Austin was admitted to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on the evening of the 1st due to complications after recent surgery and is in the process of **. While hospitalized, Deputy Secretary of Defense Catherine Hicks stood ready to act in her place. Ryder did not release details of Austin's health, saying only that Austin was "recovering well."
The Associated Press quoted a number of ** as saying that even within the Ministry of Defense, many high-level ** did not learn the news until the 5th. Many Department of Defense personnel thought Austin was on vacation.
Austin and the Pentagon's approach to such "secrecy" has provoked criticism in American political circles. Roger Wick, the top Republican member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, accused the Pentagon of "deliberately concealing" Austin's health, calling Austin's silence "unacceptable" and demanding clarification on the matter. Tom Cotton, another Republican on the committee, argued that "the Secretary of Defense is a key link in the chain of command between the defense and the military, including the nuclear chain," but that chain is "shockingly broken" and that those involved must "bear the consequences."
Austin issued a statement on the 6th, saying that he did not disclose his condition as soon as possible, and said that his condition was improving, and he looked forward to returning to the Pentagon as soon as possible.
The tense situation in the Middle East, the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and the United States have a series of important international security affairs to deal with, and Austin did not notify the White House and Congress in time to be "secretly hospitalized" for many days, which obviously violates the standard practice of the United States.
The Pentagon Press Association said in a letter to the Department of Defense on the evening of the 5th that even if the United States is unable to perform its duties due to illness, it will publicly release information, and Austin, as a public figure, cannot conceal information on the grounds of personal privacy. When Biden was admitted to the hospital for a colonoscopy in 2021, the White House immediately announced it;Previously, when Trump was diagnosed with the new crown in office, the Pentagon also issued a statement within 1 day.
The Pentagon Press Association criticized the announcement as "outrageous," saying that the announcement of Austin's hospitalization was "far below the standard of disclosure that other federal departments have always used when a senior has undergone surgery or is temporarily incapacitated," and stressed that the public has the right to know when a senior person, including **, was hospitalized and when he was anesthetized.
Austin, 70, a retired four-star general, was nominated by Biden to become the first African-American defense secretary of the United States in January 2021. According to American political news, Austin is known for his privacy, often avoiding the spotlight and reluctant to talk to ** regularly.
However, CNN and NBC pointed out that the delay of several days in announcing the news of Austin's hospitalization broke the Pentagon's previous precedent. Austin is both one of the most critical members of Biden's cabinet and a civilian leader in the military, making it one of the most important players in the U.S. establishment.
Arnold Punaro, a retired major general of the U.S. Marine Corps and former chief of staff of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said that "this is completely inconsistent with the style of the Department of Defense" and that while the Pentagon certainly has a reason to do so, "it is a wrong decision to remain silent for such a long time."
At present, tensions in the Middle East are escalating, spillover risks are spreading, and the United States is facing a series of security challenges. The duties of the Secretary of Defense require Austin to be ready to respond to any kind of *** crisis, including a nuclear attack, and his "secret hospitalization" will inevitably affect the US response in international affairs.
Although during Austin's hospitalization, Deputy Secretary of Defense Hicks for a time acted as Secretary of Defense. However, she turned out to be on the "top shift" in Puerto Rico, because she had already gone there for vacation before she was hospitalized in Austin.
In a letter to the Pentagon, the Pentagon Press Association criticized the Defense Department's "secrecy" efforts, saying that Austin was a public figure and was not entitled to medical privacy in such circumstances. At a time when the United States is playing a key security role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, it is especially important to keep the American public informed about the health and decision-making capabilities of the top leaders of the Department of Defense, the letter said.
*: "Wu Zhiguan see" WeChat***