Ben Wolfgang
Articles by Ben Wolfgang
Marco Rubio downplays notion of U.S. military action in Venezuela
The Trump administration has insisted that "all options are on the table" in dealing with unrest and instability in Venezuela, but one prominent lawmaker said Sunday that no one in Washington is seriously considering the idea of using military force to top the embattled regime in Caracas. Published January 27, 2019
Jens Stoltenberg says NATO heard Donald Trump ‘loud and clear,’ will increase defense spending
President Trump's hard-charging, blunt approach to dealing with NATO has paid dividends and led nations to ramp up their defense spending, the organization's leader said Sunday, crediting the president with spurring major changes that have strengthened the alliance. Published January 27, 2019
Zalmay Khalilzad, U.S. peace envoy to Afghanistan, claims progress in Taliban peace talks
The U.S. has made real progress in peace talks with the Taliban and the two sides are having "more productive" discussions than at any time before, America's envoy to Afghanistan said over the weekend. Published January 27, 2019
Nicolas Maduro Venezuela military backers reject U.S.-led challenge
Venezuela's military leaders came down squarely Thursday on the side of embattled President Nicolas Maduro, giving a boost to the socialist leader in the fight to save his job and setting the stage for a long, potentially violent standoff that carries deep geopolitical implications from Caracas to Washington. Published January 24, 2019
Russia backs Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro, warns U.S. against intervention
Top Russian officials on Thursday warned the Trump administration not to intervene militarily in Venezuela and said the coordinated effort to push socialist President Nicolas Maduro from power in Caracas underscores the hypocrisy of the West. Published January 24, 2019
Nicolas Maduro breaks relations with ‘imperialist’ U.S., expels American diplomats
Hours after the Trump administration called for him to step down, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said Wednesday he's breaking all ties with the U.S. and is giving American diplomats 72 hours to leave the country. Published January 23, 2019
White House: ‘All options on the table’ in Venezuela
The U.S. and nations across the hemisphere launched a stunning, coordinated rebuke Wednesday and declared that Venezuelan socialist President Nicolas Maduro is no longer his country's legitimate leader, with President Trump vowing that "all options are on the table" -- including military action -- to deal with the long-running crisis in Caracas. Published January 23, 2019
Adm. Karl Schultz, Coast Guard chief, blasts shutdown, lobbies lawmakers to reopen government
The commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard late Tuesday blasted the partial government shutdown and said it's "unacceptable" that service members continue to work without pay. Published January 23, 2019
U.S. to seek extradition of Huawei executive: Report
A high-stakes battle of wills between Washington and Beijing escalated Tuesday as the Trump administration said it will formally request that Canada extradite top tech executive Meng Wanzhou to face federal charges, while the Chinese government demanded she be allowed to come home and her company fiercely rejected charges it is spying on citizens and customers around the world. Published January 22, 2019
Coast Guard blasts government shutdown, paycheck freeze
Coast Guard officials increasingly have been speaking out about the shutdown's impact on the service and on its member families, many of whom are turning to food pantries and local donation drives to get by. Published January 21, 2019
Donald Trump calls for major expansion of U.S. missile defense
President Trump called for a major buildup of U.S. missile defense systems Thursday, saying the nation faces increased threats from Iran, Russia, North Korea and China. Published January 17, 2019
ISIS Syria attack renews debate over terrorists defeat, withdraw
A deadly suicide attack by the Islamic State that claimed the lives of four Americans and seriously injured several others in Syria on Wednesday has reignited debate in Washington over the Trump administration's claim that the terrorist group has been defeated and raised new questions in Congress about the president's plan to withdraw the 2,000 U.S. troops stationed there. Published January 16, 2019
Donald Trump to unveil deep review of missile defense
Amid heightened threats around the world and Russia's claim of a new invulnerable weapon, President Trump and Pentagon leaders on Thursday will release the first sweeping review of U.S. missile defense systems in nearly a decade. Published January 16, 2019
Theresa May’s Brexit deal overwhelmingly rejected, no-confidence vote on British leader looms
After two years of grinding negotiations, Theresa May's plan to take Britain out the European Union went down in flames Tuesday in historic, humiliating fashion. Published January 15, 2019
Donald Trump, generals blur political, military line
The long-standing line separating the U.S. military from the partisan political fray is being erased during the Trump era, Pentagon insiders and retired officers say, with a brigade of retired generals criticizing the commander in chief in TV appearances and on social media reaching a dangerous level. Published January 6, 2019
5G networks raise China espionage fears
It's a technology that promises to revolutionize the telecommunications landscape in the U.S. and around the world, but 5G networks also present one of the most complex, geopolitically sensitive national security threats that the country has seen in decades. Published January 3, 2019
U.S. military deletes, apologizes for New Year’s Eve bomb tweet
The U.S. military on Monday night deleted and apologized for a New Year's Eve tweet that joked about bombing America's enemies. Published January 1, 2019
Patrick Shanahan, acting defense secretary, succeeds James Mattis just 18 months after arrival
The U.S. military is waking up to a new boss with the new year, one who is definitely not the same as the old boss. Published December 31, 2018
Lindsey Graham rips Obama over ‘bulls—-‘ Iraq troop withdrawal
Former President Obama's "bulls---" decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq in 2011 paved the way for the rise of the Islamic State and left the Trump administration in a difficult spot, Sen. Lindsey Graham said Sunday. Published December 30, 2018
Putin Christmas letter to Trump stresses cooperation amid increasing tension
Improving U.S.-Russian relations in 2019 will be vital to ensuring "international security," Vladimir Putin told President Trump over the weekend in a holiday message that stressed openness and cooperation amid growing tension between the two nuclear powers. Published December 30, 2018