US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin ordered and controlled strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen from a hospital "using a full range of secure communications equipment," a senior defense official said on Thursday. This was reported by CNN, according to UNN.
Details
Austin has been in the hospital since January 1 after he developed complications following a prostate cancer treatment procedure on December 22.
Today, Secretary Austin gave CENTCOM the order to launch the strikes and provided real-time monitoring through a full suite of secure communications capabilities. Following the strikes, he spoke with the National Security Council, the Chairman and the Commander of CENTCOM for an initial post-strike assessment
A defense official said that between Tuesday and Thursday night, Austin spoke twice with President Joe Biden and "had numerous daily phone calls" with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Charles K. Brown, Commander of U.S. Central Command Gen. Eric Kurilla, and the National Security Council "to discuss options for response and execution upon the president's authorization.
A defense official said that over the past 72 hours, he had been "actively involved in overseeing and directing today's strikes.
Context
On the evening of January 1, Austin was hospitalized at the Walter Reed Center in Maryland. On January 2, some of his powers were transferred to his deputy, Kathleen Hicks.
The medical center's statement said that in December 2023, specialists diagnosed the US Secretary of Defense with prostate cancer. On January 1, he was hospitalized due to complications and underwent surgery. Doctors said they expected Austin to make a full recovery, but noted that it could be a long process.
CNN: US, UK strikes hit dozens of Houthi targets in Yemen12.01.24, 02:29