Ben Wolfgang
Articles by Ben Wolfgang
Top generals dispute Biden’s claims on Afghan withdrawal
Top military leaders on Tuesday confirmed they advised the White House to keep at least 2,500 troops in Afghanistan and to reject an arbitrary timeline for withdrawal, seemingly contradicting President Biden who said that the Pentagon brass was on board with his Aug. 31 exit date regardless of conditions on the ground and amid warning signs of a likely Taliban takeover. Published September 28, 2021
U.S. wants ‘clarification’ on Russia’s offer of military bases to launch Afghan strikes, Austin says
Top U.S. military leaders have sought clarification from Moscow about an offer to use Russian military bases in Central Asia as a launching pad for counterterrorism missions in Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Tuesday. Published September 28, 2021
Gen. Milley defends calls to Chinese: ‘I was certain’ Trump wouldn’t order attack
America's top general on Tuesday vehemently defended his Jan. 8 phone call with Chinese military leaders, telling lawmakers that he was "certain" then-President Donald Trump wouldn't order an attack on Beijing and wanted to convey that reassuring message to his Chinese counterparts. Published September 28, 2021
Pentagon leaders Austin, Milley to face Capitol Hill grilling on Afghanistan
Lawmakers will get their long-awaited chance Tuesday to grill Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark A. Milley for the first time since the disastrous U.S. exit from Afghanistan, with key senators in both parties signaling that the two men will face a steady stream of tough questions. Published September 27, 2021
Taliban resume brutal reign in Afghanistan with public executions, amputations for criminals
Hope that a softer Taliban would rule in Afghanistan faded Sunday amid images of bloody bodies hanging from cranes in the city of Herat. Published September 26, 2021
Turkish president to defy U.S., buy more Russian-made missile defense systems
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country will ignore U.S. warnings and buy a Russian-made missile defense system. Published September 26, 2021
Emboldened Iran mocks U.S. as Biden’s hopes for nuclear deal fade
President Biden promised to thaw diplomatic relations with Iran and to resurrect a global nuclear deal shunned by his predecessor, but nine months into his term Mr. Biden has little to show for that effort amid growing signs the administration may have misplayed its hand and created an even bolder, more belligerent regime in Tehran. Published September 21, 2021
‘Out of time’: Air Force confronts rising China, battles Congress over outdated aircraft
Top Air Force officials sounded the alarm Monday that the U.S. is rapidly falling behind China in the race to dominate the 21st century -- and they suggested that Congress's refusal to let go of aging weaponry and planes is a military luxury the country can no longer afford. Published September 20, 2021
‘Fundamental shift’ in post-9/11 era funneled trillions to defense firms
The post-9/11 era brought permanent changes to U.S. military strategy. For defense contractors, it also sparked a significant cash windfall as the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and conflicts in other hot spots in the Middle East and beyond, funneled trillions of dollars away from the rank-and-file military and toward profit-driven companies. Published September 19, 2021
Pentagon admits Afghan civilians, not ISIS-K terrorists, killed in drone strike: ‘Tragic mistake’
A U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan last month killed 10 civilians, including children, not an Islamic State extremist as the Pentagon first claimed, the Defense Department acknowledged Friday after an internal review. Published September 17, 2021
Blinken faces another grilling on Capitol Hill over Afghanistan exit
Congressional Republicans took Secretary of State Antony Blinken to task for the second day in a row Tuesday over the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, charging that a series of historically bad decisions by top officials across the Biden administration has disheartened allies, emboldened the Taliban and al Qaeda, and potentially put Americans at risk. Published September 14, 2021
‘Puppeteer act’: Republicans question whether Biden is calling shots on Afghanistan
A top Senate Republican on Tuesday accused the White House of perpetrating a "puppeteer act" on the American people and suggested that President Biden isn't the one making decisions on key policy matters such as the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Published September 14, 2021
Senate Dems threaten subpoena after Pentagon chief refuses to appear at Afghanistan hearing
The Democratic chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said Tuesday that he may subpoena Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to appear before the panel to discuss the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and suggested he may consider blocking future Defense Department political nominees until Mr. Austin appears. Published September 14, 2021
Republicans hammer Blinken over Afghan debacle while Dems blame Trump
Infuriated Republicans demanded Secretary of State Antony Blinken's resignation Monday for his handling of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. At the same time, House Democrats mounted a well-coordinated defense of the Biden administration and tried to deflect virtually all of the blame for the chaotic, deadly exit onto former President Donald Trump. Published September 13, 2021
Trump: ‘Magnificent reality’ of denuclearized Korea within reach
Saturday evening's event was part of Universal Pace Federation's "Think Tank 2022 Rally of Hope" initiative, designed to bring together prominent figures from across the world and across all sectors of society to examine all aspects of the reunification of North and South Korea. Published September 11, 2021
Report: Evidence suggests car hit by U.S. drone strike in Kabul wasn’t carrying bombs
The car that U.S. military officials believed was packed with explosives and destined for a suicide bombing at the Kabul airport on Aug. 29 may actually have been driven by an innocent man transporting canisters of water, a new report claims. Published September 10, 2021
Still going after the bad guys: 20 years after 9/11, U.S. tallies wins, losses in war on terror
America's global war on terror, with massive troop deployments, clandestine Special Forces operations and futuristic drone strikes, has killed high-profile jihadi terrorist operatives in countries across the Middle East and succeeded in hunting down much of the core leadership of al Qaeda and the Islamic State group. But 20 years after the campaign began, Islamist radical extremism is putting down fresh roots around the world. Published September 9, 2021
The forgotten ‘forever war’: Biden boosts U.S. military footprint in Syria
President Biden has moved quickly to end America's "forever wars" in the Middle East with one very glaring exception: The counterterrorism mission in Syria, where a withdrawal does not appear to even be on the table and a high-stakes geopolitical standoff between Washington and Moscow has greatly complicated the U.S. calculus. Published September 6, 2021
Humbled Pentagon faces questions on true loss of U.S. arms in Afghanistan
The nation's top general said Wednesday that there are "lessons to be learned" from a chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, all while he and other top Pentagon leaders face growing questions over whether the Biden administration has tried to hide the true extent of the weapons haul lost to the Taliban. Published September 1, 2021
Biden officials removed lists of U.S. military gear in Afghanistan from government websites
The Biden administration two weeks ago removed online reports that provided key details on the U.S. military equipment provided to Afghan security forces over the past 20 years, some of which has found its way into Taliban hands after the abrupt American withdrawal from the country last month. Published September 1, 2021
