Pentagon watchdog finds Lloyd Austin's hospitalization "unnecessarily" increased risks to national security
CBSN
The Pentagon inspector general found in its review of Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin's hospitalization last year that it "increased unnecessarily" the risks to national security, even if ultimately, there were no immediate consequences.
"Although we found no adverse consequences to Defense Department operations arising from how the hospitalizations we reviewed were handled, the risks to our national defense, including the command and control of the Defense Department's critical national security operations, were increased unnecessarily," Inspector General Robert Storch said in a statement.
Austin was hospitalized for two weeks at the start of 2024 for complications related to surgery to treat prostate cancer. The Pentagon faced sharp criticism for waiting several days to inform the White House that Austin was in the hospital — and at one point, in the intensive care unit.
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