Ben Wolfgang
Articles by Ben Wolfgang
Biden vows to back Afghan leaders as U.S. pullout accelerates
President Biden hosted Afghanistan's president and top peace negotiator at the White House Friday, vowing to maintain U.S. support for the embattled Kabul government even as the last American and NATO troops leave and fears mount of a major Taliban offensive. Published June 25, 2021
‘Last hurrah’: Biden to meet embattled Afghan leaders amid Taliban gains
President Biden will meet with Afghanistan's top political leaders in Washington on Friday even as Taliban insurgents score major battlefield gains and the embattled government in Kabul warns of a looming civil war. Published June 23, 2021
Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin backs massive overhaul to military criminal justice system
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Tuesday he supports a major overhaul to the military's criminal justice system, laying the groundwork for sexual assault, domestic violence and other related cases to be handled by independent prosecutors rather than in the traditional chain-of-command system. Published June 22, 2021
‘Adverse effect’: Pentagon leaders wary of Senate’s push to overhaul military justice system
The nation's seven top military officials are deeply wary of a bipartisan push in Congress to overhaul the Pentagon's criminal justice system and move key decisions out of the chain of command in favor of independent, professional prosecutors, according to letters made public Tuesday. Published June 22, 2021
‘Wildfire of terrorism’ threatens to overtake African region as U.S., allies pull back
The spread of Islamic extremism across Africa's unstable, impoverished Sahel region has reached crisis levels and is likely to get much worse, analysts predict, unless the U.S., France, and other outside powers change course and rethink their counterterrorism campaigns on the continent. Published June 21, 2021
Top U.S. general warns of ‘wildfire of terrorism’ across Africa
A top U.S. general has warned that a "wildfire of terrorism" is sweeping across Africa as the continent seems poised to become the new global epicenter for Islamic extremism. Published June 20, 2021
‘Wake up’: New Israeli leader blasts Biden’s nuclear talks with Iran
The Biden administration and its international partners must "wake up" and rethink negotiations with a dangerous regime in Iran, new Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Sunday as he opened his first Cabinet meeting with a harsh rebuke of the U.S.-led push to strike a new nuclear deal with the Islamic republic. Published June 20, 2021
Biden VA to offer taxpayer-funded gender transition surgery for veterans
The Biden administration plans to use taxpayer funds to pay for gender transition surgeries for veterans, sparking a backlash from some conservatives on Capitol Hill and other critics. Published June 20, 2021
Al Qaeda in Afghanistan could threaten U.S. homeland within two years, Pentagon warns
Al Qaeda in Afghanistan could regenerate and plot terrorist attacks against the American homeland within two years, possibly sooner if the insurgent Taliban overwhelm a fragile U.S.-backed government and take control of the country, top Pentagon officials warned Thursday. Published June 17, 2021
Top U.S. general ‘shocked’ by report of 1,900 missing military guns
The nation's top general said Thursday he's "shocked" by recent reports that the U.S. military lost at least 1,900 weapons over the past decade. Published June 17, 2021
Iran’s misdeeds, terror efforts dismissed in Biden push for new nuclear deal
Top Biden administration diplomats, led by special Iran envoy Robert Malley, are in their sixth round of indirect talks with Iran in Vienna, with a fresh motivation to act quickly because of Iranian elections Friday and the growing expectation that an anti-American hard-liner will win. Published June 16, 2021
Israel launches airstrikes in Gaza after incendiary balloon attacks
The Israeli military late Tuesday launched an air assault against Hamas compounds in Gaza in the first violence since the two sides struck a fragile ceasefire last month. Published June 15, 2021
Air Force tweaks uniform policy to allow coveralls, camo baseball caps
The Air Force on Monday tweaked its uniform policy and will allow service members to wear coveralls and camouflage baseball caps. Published June 15, 2021
Pentagon IG warns ‘independence’ at risk amid diversity, anti-extremism push in military
The Defense Department's inspector general risks losing its "independence" amid a push in the U.S. military to promote diversity and stamp out White supremacy and other extremist ideologies, the watchdog said in a new report, warning that Congress has established a flawed system with potentially serious unintended consequences. Published June 14, 2021
Iran sends warships across Atlantic Ocean for first time
Iran on Friday confirmed that two of the country's warships are sailing across the Atlantic Ocean for the first time, setting off alarm bells for top U.S. military officials who fear Tehran may be sending weapons to Venezuela or elsewhere in the Western Hemisphere. Published June 11, 2021
Painful memories as U.S. ponders safety of Afghan embassy
The Biden administration is working feverishly to ensure the long-term security of the U.S. Embassy in Kabul as combat troops leave Afghanistan later this summer, with analysts warning that failure to keep open a diplomatic outpost after two decades of war would be a foreign policy "disaster" of historic proportions. Published June 10, 2021
Pentagon marks LGBT Pride month but will keep Trump-era ban on display of rainbow flags
The Defense Department on Wednesday held a major ceremony marking LGBT Pride month, though Pentagon leaders remain are under intense fire for upholding a Trump-era ban on flying the rainbow flag at military bases. Published June 9, 2021
One for the road: German troops bringing back 65,000 beers, 340 bottles of wine from Afghanistan
German troops won't let a single drop of booze go to waste as they withdraw from Afghanistan. Published June 9, 2021
U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan more than 50% complete, Pentagon says
America's military withdrawal from Afghanistan is more than 50% complete, officials said Tuesday, putting the U.S. on pace to complete its exit well ahead of President Biden's Sept. 11 deadline. Published June 8, 2021
‘Forbidden subject’: Air Force officers recount ridicule after sharing UFO experiences
Public attitudes toward UFOs were much different when retired Air Force Capt. Robert Salas took the stage at the National Press Club in Washington nearly 11 years ago. Published June 7, 2021
