OAN’s Frank Lara-Risco
9:15 AM – Friday, January 12, 2023
Pentagon Press Secretary Major General Pat Ryder says that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has been actively involved in overseeing and directing the airstrikes on Yemen.
Ryder gave an update on Austin in an interview on Friday. In it, he stated that Austin is recovering well amid his hospitalization for complications related to his prostate cancer surgery.
The DOD official declined to give a date for Austin’s release from the hospital.
However, Ryder asserted that Austin has been “fully engaged” in preparations for the strikes and even signed off on them himself.
“(Austin) Spoke with the president twice over the last 72 hours, as well as conducting multiple calls each day with the CENTCOM commander, the chairman, as well as the national security adviser,” Ryder said. “And as you highlight, he gave the order yesterday afternoon to conduct these strikes.”
Ryder also said the defense secretary has taken full responsibility on the need for the department to be more transparent amid broad scrutiny for keeping his hospitalization secret from the White House for days.
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