Ben Wolfgang
Articles by Ben Wolfgang
Defense industry ‘report card’ finds that U.S. lags on cybersecurity
The vaunted American military-industrial machine is in decline and is quickly losing ground to China, defense leaders said Wednesday in a stunning new self-examination that lays out a host of shortcomings and warns of major ramifications for U.S. national security. Published February 5, 2020
Pentagon deploys new submarine-launched nuclear weapon
The Pentagon on Tuesday announced the deployment of its first new nuclear weapon in decades and in the process issued a clear warning to Moscow, a move critics say represents a return to Cold War-era brinkmanship that makes the prospect of a deadly nuclear miscalculation far more likely. Published February 4, 2020
Asad Khan, Pakistan envoy, says U.S., Taliban forced to negotiate
NEWSMAKER INTERVIEW: America has exhausted all of its military options in Afghanistan and is left with little choice but to forge ahead in peace talks with the Taliban, Pakistani Ambassador to the U.S. Asad M. Khan said Monday, underscoring the high stakes of grueling negotiations. Published February 3, 2020
London stabbings: Police shoot man in ‘terrorism-related incident’
London police shot and killed a man in the city's Streatham section after a "terrorist-related" stabbing that left two people wounded, officials said Sunday. Published February 2, 2020
Mike Pompeo: Do business with U.S., not China
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday warned nations against doing business with Chinese companies, laying out a series of concerns -- from a lack of transparency to weak environmental protections -- that come along with any deals with Beijing. Published February 2, 2020
Iran attack: 14 more U.S. troops suffered brain injuries, Pentagon says
For the second time this week, the Defense Department on Thursday night revised the number of U.S. troops who suffered traumatic brain injuries during a Jan. 8 Iranian rocket attack on an American military base. Published January 30, 2020
Reports of sexual assault at military academies jump 32%, Pentagon says
The number of reported sexual assault cases at U.S. military academies jumped by 32% last academic year, military officials said Thursday in a sweeping new report. Published January 30, 2020
Mark Esper U.S. troop reduction plan in Africa blasted as terror attacks increase
The Pentagon is facing a firestorm of opposition to plans to cut troop levels in Africa. Regional analysts and military insiders from Capitol Hill to the capitals of Europe are warning that any reductions could fuel a resurgent terrorist goal of making mincemeat out of the continent. Published January 29, 2020
Pentagon pours millions into anti-hypersonics program to counter Russia
The Pentagon is pouring millions of dollars into a new program to counter Russian hypersonic weapons as the military races to keep pace with U.S. foes. Published January 29, 2020
50 U.S. troops suffered traumatic brain injuries in Iran attack, Pentagon now says
The Pentagon on Tuesday night again revised the number of troops who suffered traumatic brain injuries during a Jan. 8 Iranian rocket attack in Iraq, now saying that 50 service members were affected. Published January 28, 2020
Eddie Gallagher, retired Navy SEAL, vows to clear name: ‘The truth is coming’
Retired Navy SEAL Edward Gallagher vowed that "the truth is coming" and cast some of his former platoon members as "cowards" in a dramatic video posted to social media sites late Monday, catapulting his saga -- and President Trump's controversial pardon -- back into the national spotlight. Published January 28, 2020
Pentagon confirms that U.S. military plane crashed in Afghanistan
An American military plane crashed in eastern Afghanistan on Monday, Pentagon officials said, though it remains unclear whether any U.S. service members were killed. Published January 27, 2020
34 U.S. troops suffered brain injuries in Iranian attack, Pentagon says
Thirty-four U.S. troops suffered traumatic brain injuries as a result of the Jan. 8 Iranian ballistic missile attack on an American military base in Iraq, Pentagon officials said Friday, revealing that many more service members were affected by the strike than initially reported. Published January 24, 2020
U.S.-Russia ‘engagements’ show risk of oil mission in Syria
President Trump says he is determined to keep control of Syrian oil fields as the country's civil war plays out, but exactly how far the U.S. military is willing to go to protect those valuable energy reserves remains a mystery and represents a key question for the administration's broader policy in the Middle East. Published January 22, 2020
U.S. troops block Russian forces from capturing Syrian oil field
U.S. troops last weekend reportedly found themselves in a standoff with Russian forces trying to gain access to key oil fields in northeastern Syria. Published January 21, 2020
11 U.S. service members were injured in Iran’s missile attack, Pentagon reveals
Eleven U.S. service members were treated for concussion symptoms in the days after Iran's Jan. 8 missile attack on an American military base in Iraq, Pentagon officials said late Thursday. Published January 17, 2020
Trump silent on Maj. Mathew Golsteyn as Army launches review
President Trump has remained silent this week as the Army launches a review into the case of Army Maj. Mathew L. Golsteyn, potentially laying the groundwork for another standoff between the military and the commander in chief. Published January 16, 2020
National Defense Strategy pivot to China postponed by Middle East tensions
The Pentagon's long-term plan to refocus on "great power competition" with China has been derailed -- again -- by conflicts in the Middle East, and specialists say the U.S. military will soon face a moment of reckoning and be forced to choose which theater will be its primary focus. Published January 15, 2020
Gen. John Raymond sworn in as first Space Force chief
Gen. John W. "Jay" Raymond was sworn in Tuesday as the first chief of space operations for the newly established U.S. Space Force, putting the service on equal footing with other branches of the military and giving it an influential seat at the Joint Chiefs of Staff table. Published January 14, 2020
Mike Pompeo, Donald Trump back Iran protesters against Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
Furious Iranian protesters took to the streets for the third straight day Monday as anger with leadership in Tehran reached a boiling point, while the Trump administration seized on the popular uprising as a potential game-changer in the struggle between the Iranian people and their government. Published January 13, 2020
