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Ben Wolfgang

Ben Wolfgang is a National Security Correspondent for The Washington Times. His reporting is regularly featured in the daily Threat Status newsletter.
Previously, he covered energy and the environment, Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign in 2016, and also spent two years as a White House correspondent during the Obama administration.
Before coming to The Times in 2011, Ben worked as political reporter at The Republican-Herald in Pottsville, Pa.
He can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.

Articles by Ben Wolfgang

Taliban accelerate takeover, seize sixth provincial capital in Afghanistan, report says

The Taliban took control Monday of a sixth provincial capital in Afghanistan, according to regional media, capping off a whirlwind weekend offensive that has left the U.S.-backed government in Kabul reeling.

August 9, 2021

Taliban fighters seize first provincial capital in Afghanistan

The Taliban on Friday reportedly seized control of its first provincial capital, achieving a key symbolic victory by overrunning Afghan government forces and taking control of Zaranj, capital of the southern province of Nimroz.

August 6, 2021

On streets of Washington, activists press Biden on Cuba

Advocates for regime change in Cuba delivered to President Biden on Thursday a petition with over 71,000 signatures urging the White House to take more aggressive steps to help topple the island's longstanding Communist government.

August 5, 2021

Pentagon’s Pacific commander feels ‘sense of urgency’ to deter China

Beijing's aggressive moves in the South China Sea and elsewhere have sparked a "sense of urgency" inside the Pentagon, the U.S. military's top Pacific commander said Wednesday, pledging that America and its allies will work together to push back on China's quest for global dominance.

August 4, 2021

Liberal veteran group puts Fox News in its crosshairs, wants network banned on military bases

A progressive political action committee on Wednesday launched a petition to ban Fox News from airing on all U.S. military installations, blaming the channel and some of its high-profile hosts for stubbornly low COVID-19 vaccination rates among troops.

August 4, 2021

Taliban ‘emboldened’ by its battlefield success in Afghanistan, U.S. envoy says

The Taliban's success in capturing territory and beating back government troops has emboldened the insurgents as they launch an aggressive urban offensive, the Biden administration's special envoy for Afghanistan warned Tuesday, adding that the Afghan security force needs to quickly "find its military bearings" or risk further losses.

August 3, 2021

Order for mandatory COVID-19 vaccines again puts Pentagon in cultural crosshairs

The Pentagon's looming COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all troops threatens to push the military into the middle of yet another divisive cultural battle, this time over personal health choices vs. the collective responsibility to prevent deadly outbreaks in the ranks.

August 2, 2021

U.S., Afghan air force unleash massive airstrikes as Taliban threaten key cities

The Afghan air force on Monday pounded the Taliban with repeated airstrikes in an effort to keep insurgent fighters from capturing key cities in southern and western Afghanistan, officials said, as the battle for the country's future moves from the rural countryside toward major population centers.

August 2, 2021

Pentagon moving ‘expeditiously’ toward mandatory COVID-19 vaccine for troops

The Pentagon hopes to move "expeditiously" toward mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for all U.S. service members, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Friday, pledging to consult with military doctors and to quickly develop a path forward.

July 31, 2021

Lawmakers move to rein in Interpol ‘abuse’ by autocratic regimes

It's become far too easy for repressive regimes around the world to abuse Interpol and use international law enforcement to target dissidents and political opponents, a bipartisan group of lawmakers said Friday as they rolled out legislation to limit how governments can enlist the group.

July 30, 2021

Russian commandos hold major drills along Afghan border

Russian commandos on Friday kicked off a series of military drills along the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan border, fueling questions about a regional power vacuum left by the unfolding U.S. and allied military withdrawal from Afghanistan that Russia and other players will seek to fill.

July 30, 2021

Biden to call off U.S. combat mission in Iraq by the end of the year

The U.S. will end its combat mission in Iraq by the end of the year, President Biden announced Monday, with American forces shifting to an advisory and training role but potentially opening the door, critics say, for Iran to gain even more influence in the region.

July 26, 2021

Biden, Iraqi leader to discuss U.S. troops, Iran-linked drone strikes

The future of the U.S. war in Iraq will come into focus Monday when President Biden meets with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi at the White House, with the two leaders expected to finalize a withdrawal plan that could fundamentally reshape America's military role in the Middle East.

July 25, 2021

Iraqi leader to push Biden on withdrawal of U.S. forces

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi said his country no longer needs U.S. combat troops on its soil and it is time for America to transition to a support role in Iraq.

July 25, 2021

Afghan losses, Haiti killing spark new questions about U.S. foreign military training

The Pentagon has invested two decades of time and untold manpower to train Afghan security forces, while American taxpayers have spent tens of billions of dollars providing direct financial assistance and military equipment for the effort.

July 22, 2021

Coups, race, White rage: Pentagon dragged deeper into politics, culture wars

The Pentagon was dragged deeper into the political fray Wednesday as the military's top uniformed officer faced repeated questions about his view on "White rage" and whether he crafted private plans to stop President Trump from staging a coup to stay in power.

July 21, 2021

Army War College commandant reinstated, cleared of sexual assault charges

Maj. Gen. Stephen Maranian was reinstated Wednesday as commandant of the U.S. Army War College after a months-long investigation into claims of abusive sexual contact found "no probable cause" that he committed the offense.

July 21, 2021

Fumble? Pentagon watchdog to review security of president’s ‘nuclear football’

The Pentagon's chief watchdog has launched a major review of security procedures involving the so-called "nuclear football," the briefcase that contains launch codes for starting a nuclear war.

July 20, 2021

‘Extremely destabilizing’: U.S., Russia trade shots over hypersonic missiles

The U.S. and Russia on Monday traded shots over the development and deployment of hypersonic missiles, with each nation accusing the other of using the cutting-edge weapons in a "destabilizing" way that could lead to conflict.