Ben Wolfgang
Articles by Ben Wolfgang
Trump versus Maduro: Why the White House is fixated on Venezuela
Donald Trump's fixation on Venezuela reflects a unique combination of factors, from the geopolitical to the economic to the personal, that has led the White House to pursue a multi-pronged push to squeeze what many see as the illegitimate government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Published December 16, 2025
Terrorists kill 15, wound dozens in brazen attack on Hanukkah celebration in Australia
Gunmen killed 15 people and wounded dozens more in a shocking assault at a Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, on Sunday, the latest in a string of antisemitic attacks around the world and one that led authorities in major U.S. cities to ramp up protection ahead of their own Hanukkah events this week. Published December 14, 2025
Deadly attack puts focus on U.S. support for fragile new Syrian government
A deadly Islamic State attack in Syria over the weekend has reignited a debate about why U.S. troops are still in the country at all and whether their presence there is actually making the Middle East even more dangerous. Published December 14, 2025
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy drops NATO bid ahead of peace talks with U.S.: report
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reportedly abandoned his country's ambition to join NATO, signaling a major concession ahead of peace talks Sunday with U.S. officials in Berlin. Published December 14, 2025
Document shows U.S. seized Venezuelan oil tanker hours before federal warrant expired
U.S. forces boarded and took control of a Venezuelan oil tanker last week just hours before a federal warrant for its seizure expired, according to a newly released but heavily redacted 27-page warrant. Published December 14, 2025
Trump vows retaliation after ISIS gunman kills 2 U.S. soldiers, 1 civilian in Syria
Three Americans -- two soldiers and one civilian -- were gunned down Saturday by an Islamic State terrorist in Syria, the Pentagon said, with three U.S. service members wounded in what officials called an ambush. Published December 13, 2025
Pentagon warns that China is reaching its goals in space
The U.S. is amid a high-stakes second space race, and its chief adversary, communist China, is "overwhelmingly" achieving its goals up there, top Pentagon officials warned at a major conference Thursday. Published December 12, 2025
Newly minted National Spacepower Center to be hub of space innovation, education, policy research
Space Force Association leaders announced Thursday the creation of a space-focused think tank and research center. Published December 11, 2025
Space combat moves from science fiction to threat as China, Russia outpace U.S.
It's gone from science fiction to a matter of serious military planning in a remarkably short time. Published December 8, 2025
Pentagon launches task force to produce drone squadron in Mideast
U.S. Central Command on Wednesday announced the formation of a task force to set up the military's first one-way attack drone squadron in the Middle East. Published December 3, 2025
Beijing ‘out for blood,’ aims to punish Japan for public comments on Taiwan, scholars say
Beijing is "out for blood" and wants to exact a toll on Japan for recent signals that Tokyo would view a Chinese attack on Taiwan as a threat to Japan's security, according to a leading scholar on China's foreign policy. Published December 2, 2025
Trump team defends 2nd strike on drug boat as lawmakers worry about war crime
President Trump huddled with his national security team Monday evening at the White House amid a growing firestorm about a deadly "follow-on strike" by U.S. forces on a Venezuelan boat suspected of carrying drugs through international waters on Sept. 2. Published December 1, 2025
Ukraine, Russia trade attacks as U.S., Ukrainian peace negotiators meet in Florida
Russia launched a deadly drone assault against Ukraine late Saturday while Kyiv's forces targeted Russian oil tankers in the Black Sea. Published November 30, 2025
Lawmakers want ‘full accounting’ from Pentagon after report of follow-on strike on alleged drug boat
Key congressional lawmakers say they expect a "full accounting" from the Pentagon after reports that military commanders in September ordered a second strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean after two people survived the initial attack. Published November 30, 2025
Trump’s peace plan up against Russia’s shaky history with deals
President Trump's Ukraine-Russia peace plan will have one of two outcomes if it's ultimately signed by the two warring parties. Published November 28, 2025
Ukraine, U.S. reach ‘understanding’ on Trump-backed peace deal, but major hurdles remain
Ukraine has agreed to the core terms of a U.S.-backed peace deal to end its war with Russia, but a final agreement still appears distant because of questions about whether Kyiv is willing to cede any of its territory to Moscow. Published November 25, 2025
Territory concessions remain a major sticking point after U.S.-Ukraine peace talks
The thorny question of whether Ukraine will cede any territory to Russia under the terms of a U.S.-backed peace deal remained unanswered Monday as Kyiv's negotiators returned home after intense discussions with top Trump administration officials in Geneva. Published November 24, 2025
Behind Replicator’s drone delays: A blueprint to fix Pentagon buying
The Pentagon's secretive Replicator program isn't about drones, at least not entirely. If it was, it's fallen short of its goal. Published November 13, 2025
Africa overtakes Mideast as world’s terrorism epicenter; U.S. military goals in question
President Trump's surprise threat to launch strikes in Nigeria has thrust back into the spotlight this often-overlooked reality: Africa is one of the most active international hot spots for the U.S. military. Published November 10, 2025
Hegseth promises ‘transformation’ of how Pentagon buys weapons, tells contractors to get on board
The Pentagon will undertake a historic transformation in the way it acquires and delivers weapons to its warfighters, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Friday, with a new emphasis on speed that marks one of the most significant overhauls in decades to America's military-industrial ecosystem. Published November 7, 2025
