Ben Wolfgang
Articles by Ben Wolfgang
U.S. eyes Saudi bases in ‘contingency’ planning for clash with Iran
The Pentagon is eyeing the possibility of using three sites in Saudi Arabia as key staging areas in the event of war in the Middle East, officials said Tuesday in another sign that the U.S. military expects tensions with Iran to remain high for the foreseeable future. Published January 26, 2021
Chinese President Xi Jinping warns U.S. of ‘new Cold War’
The U.S. effort to rally the world against China risks sparking a "new Cold War," Chinese President Xi Jinping warned Monday in his most striking comments to date on the increasingly bitter power struggle unfolding between Washington and Beijing. Published January 25, 2021
Biden signs order reversing military transgender ban
President Biden on Monday signed an executive order to remove restrictions on transgender Americans joining the military, reversing a controversial Trump-era Pentagon policy. Published January 25, 2021
U.S. drone malfunctions, makes emergency landing in Niger
A U.S. military drone malfunctioned and was forced to make an emergency landing in Niger over the weekend, Pentagon officials said after images emerged on social media that seem to show the MQ-1C Gray Eagle sitting in an abandoned field near the city of Agadez. Published January 25, 2021
National Guard troops vetted amid insider attack fears
The Pentagon and federal law enforcement are leaving "no stone unturned" as they mount an unprecedented vetting process for the 25,000 National Guard troops charged with securing Washington this week. Published January 18, 2021
California National Guard humvee stolen
An Army humvee was stolen from a National Guard facility in a Los Angeles suburb late last week, according to the FBI, and authorities are offering a $10,000 reward for its return. Published January 18, 2021
Drones have outsized impact on future of war
Drone warfare is about to shrink -- and get more dangerous. Azerbaijan's successful use of drones during its recent war with Armenia, specialists say, has captured the attention of military leaders around the world and accelerated a move toward a generation of unmanned aerial vehicles that are smaller, cheaper and easier to operate. Published January 12, 2021
Mattis, Esper, ex-Pentagon chiefs: Trump bears blame for Capitol assault
President Trump and other Republicans laid the groundwork for Wednesday's assault on the U.S. Capitol after spreading misinformation to supporters and actively undermining Americans' faith in the electoral process, two of the president's former defense secretaries said late Wednesday. Published January 7, 2021
‘Annihilation of Western democracy:’ Iran revels in Capitol chaos
Iranian leaders said Thursday that President Trump has done irreparable harm to the U.S. and that the storming of the Capitol by pro-Trump rioters a day earlier represented the "annihilation of Western democracy." Published January 7, 2021
U.S. Navy eyes ‘freedom of navigation’ patrols off Russia’s Arctic coast
The Navy is eyeing a tougher posture in the Arctic to push back against Moscow, and top Pentagon officials said this week that the U.S. could launch "freedom of navigation" operations near Russia's Arctic coastline. Published January 6, 2021
Marine Corps embraces Gen. David Berger reforms due to budget declines
Defense analysts say each military service will likely be forced to make some difficult choices that have been put off for years because Pentagon spending is expected to plateau or even be cut in the post-Trump, post-COVID-19 era. Published January 5, 2021
Iran launches massive ‘drone combat wargames’
The Iranian military on Tuesday launched a massive series of "drone combat wargames" and boasted that its new generation of aircraft -- including ominous "suicide drones" -- will give Tehran a battlefield edge over its enemies. Published January 5, 2021
USS Nimitz to stay in Middle East amid threats from Iran
A defiant Iran picked fights around the world Monday, flouting its promises under an international nuclear deal, seizing a South Korean oil tanker for dubious reasons, and announcing a major military drone exercise likely to further inflame tensions with the U.S. during President Trump's final days in office. Published January 4, 2021
Dick Cheney, other Pentagon ex-chiefs say time over for questioning election
Questions about the 2020 presidential election have been litigated in court and it is time for Congress and the entire nation to accept President-elect Joseph R. Biden's victory, 10 former defense secretaries wrote in an op-ed Sunday that warned against any attempts to involve the Pentagon in electoral disputes. Published January 3, 2021
Anti-U.S. marches across Middle East mark anniversary of Soleimani killing
Thousands of Iraqis took to the streets Saturday night and demanded all U.S. troops exit their country, declaring that "America is the great Satan" and marking the one-year anniversary of an airstrike that killed top Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani. Published January 3, 2021
Trump efforts to end ‘forever wars’ fall short
Most of the troops in question, critics contend, are not coming home but are simply being moved to other locations, often in the same dangerous corners of the world and sometimes with the same mission. Published December 31, 2020
U.S. bombers fly over Persian Gulf in clear warning to Iran: ‘Overwhelming combat power’
The U.S. Air Force on Wednesday flew bombers over the Persian Gulf for the third time in the past 45 days, delivering a clear warning to Iran and showing America's ability to unleash "overwhelming combat power" against its enemies. Published December 30, 2020
China launches major military exercise with its second aircraft carrier, the Shandong
The Chinese military on Tuesday kicked off a series of 10-day military exercises in the South China Sea involving the country's second aircraft carrier, the Shandong, as Beijing seeks to build up its naval and air forces to compete with the U.S. in the Pacific. Published December 29, 2020
Joe Biden knocks Trump administration for ‘irresponsibility’ over lack of transition cooperation
President-elect Joseph R. Biden said Monday that the Defense Department's apparent lack of cooperation during his transition into office is irresponsible and is hamstringing his team's ability to get up to speed on threats to the U.S. Published December 28, 2020
Iran warns U.S., Israel not to cross ‘red lines’ as war of words heats up
A top Iranian official on Monday warned both the U.S. and Israel not to cross "red lines" in the Persian Gulf, the latest skirmish in a heated war of words between Tehran and Washington during the final few weeks of President Trump's tenure. Published December 28, 2020
