Ben Wolfgang
Articles by Ben Wolfgang
Ukraine faces bleak future as war with Russia hits third year
Ukrainian troops are running perilously low on ammunition. Russian forces are gaining ground in the Donbas. And in America, the political fight over the utility of continued financial aid for Ukraine has reached a fever pitch. Published February 22, 2024
Russian tests follow Musk’s Starlink; anti-satellite nuke would fill gap that Ukraine war exposed
Elon Musk's Starlink satellites played a pivotal role in slowing Russia's invasion of Ukraine and helped save Kyiv from complete collapse in the early days of the 2022 invasion. But those same satellites may have accelerated the Kremlin's determination to level the playing field and neutralize that advantage. Published February 21, 2024
Biden has few options for floundering war on al-Shabab, with echoes of Afghanistan
To fully understand the slate of bad options facing the U.S. in Somalia, consider this: National security analysts say that the Somali government troops are "several degrees of magnitude worse" than the hapless Afghan army that surrendered to the Taliban in a matter of weeks in 2021 after the Biden administration announced the U.S. combat troop withdrawal. Published February 19, 2024
White House confirms Russian ‘space’ threat, says there’s no immediate danger
The White House confirmed Thursday that Russia is developing a space-based military capability that poses a national security threat, but insisted there is no immediate danger to the U.S. Published February 15, 2024
U.S. troops intercept Iranian ship loaded with missiles, drones bound for Yemen’s Houthi rebels
U.S. forces on Jan. 28 seized a ship originating in Iran, loaded with missiles and drones, and destined for Yemen's Houthi rebels, the Pentagon revealed Thursday as it blamed the regime in Tehran for aiding the Houthis in their continued targeting of commercial ships in the region. Published February 15, 2024
U.S. racks up munitions costs in indefinite fight against Houthis
The U.S. military is locked in an open-ended war with Yemen's Houthi rebels -- and it's getting expensive. Published February 13, 2024
Russia used hypersonic Zircon missile to hit Kyiv last week, Ukrainian researchers say
The Russian military struck Kyiv last week with its hypersonic Zircon missile, Ukrainian researchers said late Monday. Published February 13, 2024
Pentagon: Defense chief Austin back in the hospital for ‘symptoms suggesting bladder issue’
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin returned Sunday to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for symptoms of a bladder issue less than a month after his secret stay at that hospital sparked controversy and multiple investigations for his failure to notify President Biden or his subordinates at the Pentagon. Published February 11, 2024
‘We have to win this war’: Netanyahu defends looming Rafah attack as opposition grows
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday forcefully defended his military's looming operation in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah. Published February 11, 2024
U.S. pounds Houthi rebels in Yemen with four straight days of airstrikes
U.S. forces late Saturday capped off a four-day flurry of airstrikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen, targeting Houthi anti-ship missiles, ground vehicles, and other weapons. Published February 11, 2024
Biden faces pressure to cut funding for U.N. relief agency after Hamas data center found
President Biden faced mounting pressure to permanently end all U.S. funding for the embattled United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees after the discovery of what the Israeli military said was a Hamas data center beneath the group's headquarters in Gaza City. Published February 11, 2024
U.S. airstrike kills top commander of Iran-backed militia Kata’ib Hezbollah, Pentagon says
An American military airstrike on Wednesday killed a top commander of an Iran-backed militia umbrella group that the Biden administration says was responsible for recent attacks on U.S. troops, in the latest retaliatory operation against those behind the drone strike that killed three U.S. service members in Jordan late last month. Published February 7, 2024
Israel’s Netanyahu rejects Hamas’ cease-fire plan, pledges ‘complete victory’ in Gaza war
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, saying he would settle for nothing less than "complete victory," rejected a deal put forward by Hamas that would have freed all remaining hostages in exchange for a lengthy cease-fire in the Gaza Strip. Published February 7, 2024
Lost leverage: Ex-U.S. intel chief sees few good options amid North Korea’s provocations
Hopes are fading fast to reduce tensions on the Korean Peninsula, according to a former U.S. intelligence chief, who warned that the increasingly provocative behavior from Pyongyang combined with the near total loss of U.S. diplomatic leverage has resulted in a uniquely dangerous moment. Published February 7, 2024
Israel vows to press ahead in Gaza as hostage talks near finish line
The Israel-Hamas war raced ahead on dual tracks Tuesday, with Israeli officials vowing to press forward with an offensive in the southern Gaza Strip near the Egyptian border even as both sides -- and the Biden administration -- tried to clinch a deal that would free all remaining hostages held by the Palestinian militants. Published February 6, 2024
U.S. military ‘cannot ensure safe passage’ for ships from Houthi attacks, intelligence firm says
U.S. and British warplanes have been regularly striking Houthi targets in Yemen for nearly a month, but that campaign still "cannot ensure safe passage" for commercial ships sailing through the Red Sea, according to a leading maritime intelligence firm. Published February 6, 2024
Most Israelis say safe return of hostages, rather than destroying Hamas, should be main goal: Poll
A majority of Israelis believe their government's main goal in the Gaza Strip should be the safe return of all hostages still held by Hamas, rather than the destruction of the Palestinian terrorist group, according to a new poll released Tuesday. Published February 6, 2024
U.S. launches airstrikes on Iranian military units, militias a week after attack killed 3 Americans
U.S. forces on Friday unleashed a wave of major retaliatory airstrikes against Iran's elite Quds Force units and Iran-backed militias across Iraq and Syria, officials said, finally firing back a week after an attack killed three American service members in Jordan. Published February 2, 2024
Biden ignored alarms about Houthis in order to pursue nuclear talks with Iran, Yemeni official says
The Biden administration and its partners in Europe ignored warnings about the growing danger posed by Houthi rebels because they were fixated on pursuing a new nuclear deal with Iran, according to a top Yemeni official. Published February 2, 2024
Japan’s dispute with church a test of liberty everywhere
The bedrock principle of religious liberty faces a historic test right now in Japan, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich told an audience at a major summit in Washington this week, warning that a dangerous, communist-backed effort to punish the Unification Church could carry severe consequences for people of all faiths across the globe. Published January 31, 2024
