The US Secretary of Defense supervised the Yemen strikes from the hospital
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin supervised from the hospital where he is undergoing treatment, the preparations of American and British forces to launch strikes on Houthi sites in Yemen, the White House announced Friday.
Austin caused huge controversy in Washington after he was hospitalized on January 1 due to complications from prostate cancer treatment, without informing the White House for days after his admission, leading to calls for his resignation and raising questions about the importance of his role in national security issues.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said, “Austin was fully engaged even from his hospital bed,” stressing that Austin was actively and closely engaged with the National Security team here at the White House and of course, and with the Commander in Chief, President Joe Biden”.
“The President has made clear that Secretary Austin is his Secretary of Defense, and will remain his Secretary of Defense,” Kirby said, adding “He has full faith and confidence in Secretary Austin and his leadership”.
He added, “This leadership…was evident to everyone in the national security team, as from his hospital bed he led our forces on some dangerous missions here”.
At dawn on Friday, the United States and Britain launched strikes on targets in areas under the control of the Houthis in Yemen, after they targeted commercial ships in the Red Sea for weeks.
