Ben Wolfgang
Articles by Ben Wolfgang
Vladimir Putin moves ‘swiftly’ on gun control after Russian school shooting
Russian President Vladimir Putin will move "swiftly" on new measures to restrict gun ownership in his country following a mass shooting at a school Tuesday morning, top Russian officials said. At least eight people were killed in the attack in the city of Kazan, with another 21 hospitalized. Published May 11, 2021
Stop funding for Kerry’s climate office over alleged intel-sharing with Iran, GOP senators say
Four Republican senators on Monday called for a freeze on funding for State Department official John Kerry's new climate-change initiative until the former secretary of state answers questions about his alleged intelligence-sharing with Iran. Published May 10, 2021
Colonial Pipeline, hit by cyberattack, may be back up and running by end of week
The Biden administration on Monday confronted another major cyberattack with apparent links to Russia while the U.S. energy industry slowly got back on its feet after a crippling assault on the Colonial Pipeline underscored deep vulnerabilities in critical American infrastructure that security experts say must be fixed. Published May 10, 2021
U.S. Navy seizes thousands of Chinese, Russian-made weapons in North Arabian Sea
The U.S. Navy recently seized a cache of weapons aboard a stateless vessel in the North Arabian Sea, Pentagon officials said Sunday, marking another mission by American forces to foil illegal Iranian weapons shipments to rebel groups in Yemen. Published May 10, 2021
Momentum builds to change military rules on harassment in the ranks
The polarizing push to pull sexual assault cases from the chain of command -- an idea that now appears inevitable amid openness from top Pentagon commanders and support from even some of the most outspoken pro-military conservatives on Capitol Hill -- would represent a fundamental change to one of the core tenets of U.S. military practice. Published May 8, 2021
Boris Johnson South China Sea carrier deployment to project Britain power
Post-Brexit Britain is thrusting itself into 21st-century great power competition with the deployment of a massive carrier strike group through Asia and the bitterly contested South China Sea this month, marking the Royal Navy's most ambitious mission since the Falklands War of the early 1980s. Published May 4, 2021
Trump may have cleared Biden’s path to check NKorea, experts tell Washington Times Foundation event
Former President Trump's historic meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have opened a key door for the Biden administration as it eyes diplomacy with Pyongyang, former U.S. officials and regional experts said Tuesday, arguing that President Biden may have been given a unique opportunity to strike a denuclearization deal that's eluded Washington for decades. Published May 4, 2021
Pentagon’s top general open to taking sexual assault cases out of chain of command
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley is now open to taking sexual assault cases out of the military's chain of command, marking a potentially major shift in how the Pentagon handles the issue. Published May 3, 2021
AMVETS slams Pentagon after denial to use DoD parking lots for ‘Rolling to Remember’ rally
The Pentagon has denied a request from American Veterans (AMVETS) to use Defense Department parking lots for its "Rolling to Remember" motorcycle rally later this month, the veterans group said in a statement Monday, slamming Pentagon officials for allegedly refusing to engage in a dialogue about how to hold the event safely in the era of coronavirus. Published May 3, 2021
Message to Russia: U.S. Army kicks off major artillery drills across Europe
The U.S. Army this week will kick off a series of major artillery drills across Europe and northern Africa, sending a clear message to Moscow amid a buildup of Russian troops along the Ukrainian border. Published May 3, 2021
White House denies Iran’s sanctions, prisoner deal claims
Biden administration officials on Sunday morning denied reports from Iranian state-run media that the U.S. and Britain have agreed to free up $7 billion in frozen Iranian funds in exchange for the release of American prisoners held in the Islamic republic. Published May 2, 2021
U.S. base in Afghanistan hit by rocket fire as troops begin withdrawal
In an ominous kickoff to the mission to leave, U.S. forces returned fire over the weekend after rockets hit a key air base in Kandahar, Afghanistan, while America's top general on Sunday warned of "bad possible outcomes" in the country after all U.S. and NATO troops complete their withdrawal. Published May 2, 2021
19 GOP senators call for investigation into John Kerry’s alleged intel-sharing with Iran
The furor over claims that John Kerry may have disclosed intelligence secrets about Israeli military strikes to the Iranians escalated again Thursday, as 19 Republican senators Thursday demanded an investigation into the charges and that President Biden must fire Mr. Kerry as his top climate policy aide if the charges prove true. Published April 29, 2021
Joe Biden defends plan to pull troops from Afghanistan
President Biden on Wednesday night defended his controversial decision to withdraw all U.S. forces from Afghanistan by September 11, arguing that America has accomplished its goals in the 20-year "forever war." Published April 28, 2021
Judge sides with Amazon; court to consider whether Trump interfered in Pentagon ‘war cloud’ contract
Amazon Web Services won a major battle in the clash over the Pentagon's massive $10 billion "war cloud" computing contract Wednesday, as a federal judge ruled its legal challenge citing interference by President Trump in the deal can go forward, opening the door to a potentially ugly fight and even a possible deposition of the former president. Published April 28, 2021
USS Firebolt fires warning shots at Iran Revolutionary Guard vessels
A U.S. warship fired warning shots after Iranian speedboats came within 68 yards of American vessels in the Persian Gulf, Pentagon officials said Wednesday, detailing the latest close encounter between the two nations' militaries. Published April 27, 2021
John Kerry denies sharing secret intelligence with Iran as calls for resignation grow
John Kerry's backroom conversations with foreign officials have sparked a fierce backlash in Washington again as the former secretary of state and President Biden's point man on climate issues faced growing calls to resign Tuesday over reports that he fed Iran sensitive information about Israeli military strikes. Published April 27, 2021
U.S., Iranian ships had 3-hour encounter in the Persian Gulf this month
Iranian ships conducted "unsafe maneuvers" and ignored U.S. military warnings for three hours during a dangerous encounter in the Persian Gulf earlier this month, Pentagon officials said. Published April 27, 2021
John Kerry told Iranians about secret Israeli operations in Syria: Report
Former Secretary of State John Kerry kept Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif informed about secret Israeli military actions in Syria, the Iranian diplomat said in recently leaked audio, casting new light on communication between the two men after Mr. Kerry returned to life as a private citizen in 2017. Published April 26, 2021
Leaked recording of Iran’s top diplomat offers blunt talk
President Biden's effort to rejoin the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran may be in jeopardy after a leaked tape exposed deep divisions between military leaders and diplomats inside Iran, with the credibility of Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif now in doubt at a crucial moment in negotiations. Published April 26, 2021
