Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was back to work Monday at the Pentagon after nearly a month away because of his treatment for prostate cancer that was not initially disclosed to colleagues in the Defense Department, the White House or the American people.
On Monday, Mr. Austin met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who is in Washington to discuss ongoing support for Ukraine in its war against Russian invaders and preparations for the 75th-anniversary summit of the Western military alliance.
“At this important time, I’m glad to be back at the Pentagon. I feel good and recovering well, but still recovering,” Mr. Austin said, sitting across the table from the NATO chief. “I appreciate all the good wishes that I have received thus far.”
Sitting next to Gen. Charles Q. Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Mr. Austin expressed outrage over the death of three U.S. troops in Jordan, killed over the weekend in a drone strike that President Biden blamed on Iran-backed militant groups inside Iraq.
“The president and I will not tolerate attacks on U.S. forces and we will take all necessary actions to defend the U.S. and our troops;” Mr. Austin said.
The U.S. maintains about 2,500 military personnel in the region for what the Pentagon says is a mission to prevent a resurgence of the Islamic State terror group.
“Iran continues to destabilize the region. This includes backing terrorists who attack our ships in the Red Sea,” he said. “The U.S. is leading international efforts to end these attacks.”
Mr. Austin’s secret hospital stay at Walter Reed National Military Center and the confusion over what was in charge at the Pentagon prompted calls for his resignation from some GOP leaders on Capitol Hill, as well as at least two investigations into the incident. Mr. Austin and his aides have acknowledged not handling the incident properly.
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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