“It was a mistake”. United States Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin apologized Thursday for keeping secret his prostate cancer and hospitalization, a matter that caused uproar in the country.
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 the President Joe Biden knows nothing about it.
“I want to be very clear (…): I did not manage this properly,” the minister said at a press conference.
“I should have informed the president of my cancer diagnosis. I should have told my team and the American people as well and I take full responsibility for that. I apologize to my colleagues and to the American people,” he added.
“It was a mistake” not to have said this in particular to President Biden, he admitted.
But “I want to make it very clear that there was no power vacuum and (there was) no risk to the command and control of the ministry,” he stressed.
Mr. Austin was widely criticized after it was revealed that he was recently hospitalized and that his health problem was kept secret, contrary to current protocols.
Joe Biden himself was not informed of the cancer diagnosis for weeks, according to the White House.
“Someone discreet”
The affair caused astonishment even in the Democratic camp and sparked calls from Republicans for Mr. Austin’s resignation.
The latter ruled out this option. President Biden said he remained confident in his defense minister, while regretting a lack of communication.
Mr. Austin indicated that he had “directly” apologized to Mr. Biden and that the latter had reacted “with grace”.
The controversy over his health problems also comes at a time when American forces in Iraq and Syria are regularly targeted by attacks by fighters supported by Iran according to Washington. One killed three American soldiers last weekend.
The Defense Minister further claimed that he had “missed the opportunity to send a message on an important public health issue”.
“One in eight American men will develop prostate cancer. One in six black men will be affected,” said Mr. Austin, himself an African-American. “So I have a clear message for other men, especially older ones. Do your health checks.”
Lloyd Austin also denied having established a “culture of secrecy”.
It was more of a “privacy” issue, he said.
When he was informed that he had cancer, “it was a blow to the heart. And frankly, my first instinct was to keep it a secret. “I’m not telling you anything by saying that I’m a fairly discreet person,” he told the press.
The minister finally wanted to be reassuring about his convalescence.
“I’m recovering well but as you can see, I’m still recovering,” he told reporters, commenting on his somewhat stiff gait. “I still have some pain in my leg,” he added, adding that he was doing physiotherapy.
