Ben Wolfgang
Articles by Ben Wolfgang
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
Who is Yevgeny Prigozhin? Ex-convict dubbed ‘Putin’s chef’ leading Wagner Group rebellion in Russia
Yevgeny Prigozhin in the early 2000s earned the nickname "Putin's chef" after his restaurants and catering companies became favorites of the Russian president and Kremlin leadership. Published June 24, 2023
Wagner Group chief calls off rebellion in Russia, troops stop advance on Moscow
Russia's mercenary Wagner Group will abandon its march toward Moscow and return to the fight in Ukraine, the group's chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said Saturday as a major crisis that seemed to threaten President Vladimir Putin's grip on power has been averted. Published June 24, 2023
Watchdog finds corrosion, upkeep woes at key U.S. missile defense sites
Key sites in America's vast missile defense system network are plagued by seawater corrosion, inadequate running water in the bathrooms, poor heating and air conditioning, a lack of storage facilities and other problems, a government watchdog said, pointing to shortfalls in the system at a crucial moment for U.S. national security. Published June 22, 2023
As U.S. military recruiting crisis worsens, armed forces find competition around every corner
The U.S. military is in a bitter fight to attract and retain new recruits. And its most potent enemies are around every corner. Published June 21, 2023
Olive branch? Blinken offers Biden’s conciliation to China
If China was waiting for an olive branch from the Biden administration, Secretary of State Antony Blinken seemed to deliver one Monday. Published June 19, 2023
Beijing offers no red carpet for arrival of top U.S. diplomat Blinken on trip to ease tensions
Secretary of State Antony Blinken received a frosty reception late Saturday as he arrived in Beijing, with virtually no fanfare and no red carpet ceremony as the top U.S. diplomat kicked off a series of high-stakes meetings with his Chinese counterparts. Published June 18, 2023
House GOP uses policy, spending bills to target ‘woke’ Pentagon
House Republicans on Thursday cleared a major spending bill that takes direct aim at so-called "woke" Pentagon policies, from drag shows on military bases to gender-transition surgery and the use of taxpayer money to facilitate abortions, setting the stage for a high-stakes culture-war clash with President Biden and his Democratic allies in Congress. Published June 15, 2023
U.S. sends F-22 fighters to Middle East amid ‘unsafe’ Russian behavior in Syria
The Pentagon will send F-22 Raptor fighter jets to the Middle East in direct response to increasingly "unsafe" behavior by Russian aircraft in the skies over Syria, U.S. officials said Wednesday, marking the latest escalation of tensions between the nations. Published June 15, 2023
Hypersonic or just overhyped? Amid Russian failures, U.S. doubles down on super-fast missiles
The long-awaited battlefield debut of hypersonic weapons was largely a bust. But experts say it had much more to do with who pulled the trigger than underlying problems with the technology itself. Published June 11, 2023
Pentagon denies report that China setting up spy station in Cuba
Pentagon officials on Thursday shot down news reports that China is preparing to build a spy station in Cuba, even as the claims gained traction on Capitol Hill and sparked an angry reaction from lawmakers of both parties. Published June 8, 2023