Ben Wolfgang
Articles by Ben Wolfgang
Two U.S. sailors arrested for allegedly transmitting military information to China
Two active-duty U.S. sailors in California were arrested after transmitting sensitive military information to China, the Justice Department announced Thursday, saying that the two men sent photos and videos of American warships, operational plans for U.S. military drills in the Pacific, and a host of other secrets to Chinese handlers "that could seriously jeopardize U.S. national security." Published August 3, 2023
Navy extends service life of four guided-missile destroyers
The Navy will extend the life of four Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers, the service announced Thursday, keeping the warships in service well into the 2030s and partly addressing a growing concern in Washington about whether America's naval capabilities are falling behind those of its chief rival, China. Published August 3, 2023
Biden demands Niger leader Bazoum be freed as embassy personnel evacuated after coup
The State Department late Wednesday ordered the evacuation of all non-emergency personnel and their families from the U.S. Embassy in Niamey, the capital of Niger, amid an unfolding military coup and the possibility that war might erupt in the West African country. Published August 3, 2023
Military coup sets back U.S. missions for democracy; adversaries score new strategic opportunity
Chaos and political upheaval in Niger have opened wide a window of opportunity for U.S. adversaries and could jeopardize America's counterterrorism mission across Africa, leaving the Biden administration with few good options amid an unfolding military coup in Niamey that has caught the West off guard. Published July 31, 2023
Armed drones attack Moscow for third time in a week; one injured
Moscow came under fire from armed drones Sunday for the third time in a week, with the latest attack injuring at least one Russian citizen and temporarily shutting down an airport near the Russian capital. Published July 30, 2023
Robert Malley mystery deepens as Biden’s envoy to Iran remains sidelined
The Biden administration won't tell lawmakers why State Department Iran envoy Robert Malley had his security clearance suspended earlier this year, congressional sources said, as the mystery deepens over whether the embattled diplomat may have disclosed sensitive information to foreign contacts. Published July 29, 2023
Witnesses say UFOs no joking matter; technology poses serious danger
Objects that can maintain Mach 1 speeds even in the face of gale-force winds. Aircraft with no visible means of lift or propulsion, and no wings or engines. Those are some of the descriptions that former U.S. military personnel used when recounting their personal encounters with UFOs at a House hearing. Published July 26, 2023
UFOs, potential alien life back in spotlight at major House hearing Wednesday
Unidentified flying objects -- and the possibility that extraterrestrial life forms are piloting them -- will be thrust back into the spotlight Wednesday morning at a rare House hearing on unexplained aerial phenomena in America's skies. Published July 26, 2023
Furious Kremlin vows response after Moscow drone attack lands near military HQ
The Kremlin threatened major retaliation against Kyiv and hinted it would ramp up assaults on Ukrainian civilians after a failed drone attack Monday targeted the Russian Defense Ministry headquarters in Moscow, the latest in a string of attempted strikes on the Russian homeland. Published July 24, 2023
Reality of war deflates hyped-up campaign; Russia minefields obstructing hopes
It was billed as the military blockbuster of the summer, a game-changer in what would be Ukraine's decisive campaign to drive back the Russian invaders. Instead, Kyiv's widely anticipated counteroffensive has been, at best, a slow-moving slog with little discernible progress. Published July 21, 2023
GOP demands answers as mystery over Iran envoy Rob Malley deepens
The Biden administration faced growing pressure Tuesday to explain the mystery around its top Iran envoy, Robert Malley, whose disappearance from his key position inside the State Department has plunged Iran policy into uncertainty and raised questions about whether the White House's diplomatic outreach to Tehran might have jeopardized national security. Published July 18, 2023
Blinken blasts GOP senators’ hold on diplomatic nominees, says ‘it’s irresponsible’
Republican senators are endangering U.S. national security and harming America's reputation abroad by blocking dozens of would-be ambassadors and diplomatic nominees from confirmation, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday. Published July 17, 2023
Locked and loaded? $41.3B in U.S. military aid to Ukraine diminishes America’s weapons stockpiles
America's guns are rapidly running out of ammunition, and there are serious questions about how quickly they can be reloaded. Published July 13, 2023
Politics, abortion policy take center stage at commander’s confirmation hearing
Gen. Charles Q. Brown, on track to be the Pentagon's next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, promised a Senate panel Tuesday that he'll remain nonpartisan and steer clear of politics during his tenure as America's top military officer. Published July 11, 2023
Bloody clash over Bakhmut paying dividends for Kyiv, analyst says
The bloody battle for Bakhmut earlier this year proved costly for the Ukrainian military, with some Western observers questioning why Kyiv would dedicate so many troops and so much of its precious firepower for a city of relatively little strategic value. Published July 9, 2023
Ukraine’s gamble in Bakhmut paid off, fueled Putin-Prigozhin feud: Former CIA officer
The bloody battle for Bakhmut earlier this year proved costly for the Ukrainian military, with some Western observers questioning why Kyiv would dedicate so many troops and so much of its precious firepower for a city of relatively little strategic value. Published July 7, 2023
Abe’s influence still felt at home and abroad a year after his death
It was an idea ahead of its time and one that's paying geopolitical dividends in America's growing Cold War with China. Published July 6, 2023
‘Woke’ Pentagon in the crosshairs: GOP wields leverage in spending, policy bills
Conservatives have singled out left-wing military policies that they say have taken hold under President Biden and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Published June 29, 2023
Crippled Russia refocuses needs for U.S. military; crisis reduces Putin’s status of ‘great power’
Analysts say the short-lived mutiny led by Yevgeny Prigozhin and his mercenary Wagner Group has cast an even harsher spotlight on the reality of the Russian state. They say it resembles a declining empire grappling with its slow, painful death -- less of a modern-day global leader and more of a zombie superpower. Published June 26, 2023
Putin image fades in face of rebellion
Blowback from a powerful Russian mercenary group's insurrection against the Kremlin swirled in Moscow on Sunday, laying bare the depths of an internal crisis facing Vladimir Putin and fueling speculation the war in Ukraine will eventually lead to his downfall. Published June 25, 2023
