Ben Wolfgang
Articles by Ben Wolfgang
U.S. rescue mission in Kabul races against time, Taliban crackdown
The Taliban clamped down on the mass exodus of Afghans from Kabul airport on Tuesday while the Pentagon said it is mounting a frantic push to grow the American military-led evacuation mission over the coming days -- even as the Biden administration struggles to clarify how many Americans are still stranded in Afghanistan and how many Afghan's qualify as evacuees. Published August 24, 2021
Taliban says Afghans can no longer leave the country as Biden rushes to meet Aug. 31 deadline
Taliban leaders said Tuesday they will no longer allow Afghans to leave the country and that they expect the U.S. to complete its full military withdrawal from the Kabul airport by Aug. 31. Published August 24, 2021
Biden faces heat as Taliban threaten U.S. troops, armed Afghan resistance grows
The Taliban on Monday threatened violence against any American troops who remain in Kabul past Aug. 31, while President Biden faced new questions about whether the U.S. could or should be aiding thousands of Afghan resistance fighters now preparing for their own potentially bloody showdown with Taliban insurgents. Published August 23, 2021
Taliban leaders warn of ‘consequences’ if U.S. troops stay past Aug. 31: ‘The answer is no’
Taliban leaders warned Monday that U.S. and British troops will face "consequences" if they continue evacuations at Kabul's international airport past President Biden's self-imposed Aug. 31 deadline to withdraw from Afghanistan. Published August 23, 2021
One dead after U.S. troops fire back at Kabul gunman
U.S. troops engaged in a shootout at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul early Monday morning, Pentagon officials said, with at least one Afghan security officer killed after a gunman opened fire on troops guarding the entrance to the facility. Published August 23, 2021
Inside the Afghanistan debacle: Biden abandoned Trump’s pullout plan
President Biden's decision to bypass his military advisers and order a complete withdrawal has left tens of thousands of Americans and friendly Afghans trapped by Taliban terrorist brigades. Published August 22, 2021
ISIS threatens Kabul airport, embassy warns Americans to stay away
The U.S. Embassy in Kabul changed course and issued a travel warning Saturday after an apparent threat from Islamic State terrorists, telling Americans not to go to the Afghanistan capital's airport unless advised by an official government representative. Published August 21, 2021
Rapid Afghanistan collapse leaves U.S. scrambling to evacuate personnel
The government America built and supported for nearly 20 years in Afghanistan collapsed in a single day Sunday. Published August 15, 2021
Ghani flees Afghanistan, U.S. diplomats burn documents as Taliban enter Kabul
American diplomats burned documents and the U.S. military rushed to evacuate personnel from Kabul on Sunday morning as Taliban fighters entered the Afghan capital and pushed for the unconditional surrender of the Afghan government, capping a stunning insurgent offensive coinciding with the American military withdrawal after two decades of war. Published August 15, 2021
Pentagon braces for Kabul to fall to Taliban, sends thousands of troops to evacuate U.S. Embassy
The Pentagon is sending thousands of fresh troops to Afghanistan to help evacuate diplomats from the suddenly vulnerable U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Biden administration officials said Thursday, as Taliban fighters captured two of the country's three largest cities and moved to within about 80 miles of the capital. Published August 12, 2021
‘Not acceptable’: Trump slams Biden’s handling of U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan
Former President Trump on Thursday slammed his successor's handling of the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan and suggested that had he been commander in chief, the insurgent Taliban would be behaving much differently. Published August 12, 2021
‘Complete, utter failure’: Frustration with Afghan army boils over as Taliban take 2 more provinces
The Taliban captured their seventh and eighth provincial capitals Tuesday as top U.S. lawmakers blasted the Afghan army's "complete, utter failure" on the battlefield, underscoring mounting frustration in Washington over the growing possibility of a full takeover by the radical Islamist insurgency. Published August 10, 2021
Biden under fire over ‘meltdown’ of Afghan security forces, stunning Taliban victories
The rapid disintegration of Afghanistan has sparked a blame game across Washington and throughout the world as a series of stunning Taliban victories have left the U.S.-backed government in Kabul reeling and the Biden administration scrambling to stop the bleeding. Published August 9, 2021
Taliban accelerate takeover, seize sixth provincial capital in Afghanistan, report says
The Taliban took control Monday of a sixth provincial capital in Afghanistan, according to regional media, capping off a whirlwind weekend offensive that has left the U.S.-backed government in Kabul reeling. Published August 9, 2021
Taliban fighters seize first provincial capital in Afghanistan
The Taliban on Friday reportedly seized control of its first provincial capital, achieving a key symbolic victory by overrunning Afghan government forces and taking control of Zaranj, capital of the southern province of Nimroz. Published August 6, 2021
On streets of Washington, activists press Biden on Cuba
Advocates for regime change in Cuba delivered to President Biden on Thursday a petition with over 71,000 signatures urging the White House to take more aggressive steps to help topple the island's longstanding Communist government. Published August 5, 2021
Pentagon’s Pacific commander feels ‘sense of urgency’ to deter China
Beijing's aggressive moves in the South China Sea and elsewhere have sparked a "sense of urgency" inside the Pentagon, the U.S. military's top Pacific commander said Wednesday, pledging that America and its allies will work together to push back on China's quest for global dominance. Published August 4, 2021
Liberal veteran group puts Fox News in its crosshairs, wants network banned on military bases
A progressive political action committee on Wednesday launched a petition to ban Fox News from airing on all U.S. military installations, blaming the channel and some of its high-profile hosts for stubbornly low COVID-19 vaccination rates among troops. Published August 4, 2021
Taliban ‘emboldened’ by its battlefield success in Afghanistan, U.S. envoy says
The Taliban's success in capturing territory and beating back government troops has emboldened the insurgents as they launch an aggressive urban offensive, the Biden administration's special envoy for Afghanistan warned Tuesday, adding that the Afghan security force needs to quickly "find its military bearings" or risk further losses. Published August 3, 2021
Order for mandatory COVID-19 vaccines again puts Pentagon in cultural crosshairs
The Pentagon's looming COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all troops threatens to push the military into the middle of yet another divisive cultural battle, this time over personal health choices vs. the collective responsibility to prevent deadly outbreaks in the ranks. Published August 2, 2021