Lloyd Austin Ordered Yemen Strikes From Hospital

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered a deadly U.S. strike on Yemen’s Houthis on Thursday night from his hospital room, the Pentagon revealed Friday.

In a statement, Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Austin is “in contact with his senior staff” and “continues to monitor DOD’s day-to-day operations worldwide” from his hospital room in Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

He was “actively engaged this week in overseeing and directing” the strikes on Yemen-based Houthi militants and “gave the order” for the strikes to be carried out, Ryder said.

Austin has remained at Walter Reed since being hospitalized on Jan. 1 from a painful UTI, following an elective prostatectomy in December to treat prostate cancer. His hospitalization, and cancer, were initially kept secret, reportedly even from the White House, a fact which prompted some lawmakers to demand he step down.

Earlier Friday, President Biden said he hadn’t lost confidence in Austin to do his job, though he said he believed it was wrong of Austin not to disclose his health woes.

The Pentagon has said Austin’s release date from the hospital is still unclear, but he will continue to do his job from Walter Reed.