Ben Wolfgang

House GOP falls short in effort to get Pentagon info on ‘woke’ policies

A Republican-backed measure to pry loose Pentagon documents on "woke" policies in the U.S. military fell short Tuesday amid opposition from Democrats -- but the vote underscored how the GOP will zero in on the issue once it takes control of the House in January.

December 13, 2022

Russia, Ukraine inch toward peace talks, but Moscow’s leverage vanishes as war drags on

Would Ukraine be willing to give Russia a piece of the divided Donbas region in exchange for a guaranteed fast track to full NATO membership?

December 13, 2022

Russia’s ammo ‘rapidly dwindling,’ may begin to run out in early 2023: Pentagon

The Russian military is quickly running out of artillery and rocket ammunition, Pentagon officials said Monday, and the Russian army can only sustain its current rate of attack in Ukraine until early next year.

December 12, 2022

U.S. helicopter raid kills two ISIS officials in Syria, Pentagon says

An American helicopter raid in eastern Syria killed two key Islamic State figures on Sunday, U.S. officials said.

December 11, 2022

‘Fish’s head is completely rotten’: Russian military insiders aim at Putin over Ukraine war failures

Russian President Vladimir Putin is taking direct fire from defense insiders who say their country's inept leadership is to blame for the country's military failures in Ukraine, as even Mr. Putin has been forced to acknowledge that the war is taking far longer than expected.

December 11, 2022

Threat Status: How war in Ukraine derailed key U.S.-Russia nuclear negotiations

Welcome to Threat Status, a weekly roundup of the biggest news inside the Pentagon, on the border and around the world. Sign up to receive Threat Status each week from a national security reporting team headed by veteran Washington Times journalists Ben Wolfgang and Guy Taylor.

December 11, 2022

Brazen strikes deep inside Russia complicate support from U.S., allies for Ukraine

Ukraine's apparent drone strikes on military bases deep inside Russian territory have exposed serious vulnerabilities in the Kremlin's defenses and could be the first indication that Kyiv is now willing and able to take the fight to enemy soil.

December 7, 2022

Guy Taylor & Ben Wolfgang launch Threat Status, a new weekly newsletter from The Washington Times

Welcome to Threat Status, a weekly roundup of the biggest news inside the Pentagon, on the border and around the world. Sign up to receive Threat Status each week from a national security reporting team headed by veteran Washington Times journalists Ben Wolfgang and Guy Taylor.

December 7, 2022

U.S. isn’t helping Ukraine hit targets inside Russia, officials say

The U.S. is not actively aiding or encouraging Ukraine to hit targets inside Russia, Biden administration officials said late Tuesday as Washington distanced itself from a series of apparent drone strikes on key Russian military targets over the past several days.

December 7, 2022

Democrats join Republicans in move to repeal military’s vaccine mandate

Congressional Democrats have included a Republican-backed measure to repeal President Biden's COVID-19 vaccine mandate for service members in the annual Pentagon policy bill, dealing a severe blow to the White House.

December 6, 2022

Navy uses ‘non-lethal lasers’ to ward off Iranian ship in dangerous Strait of Hormuz encounter

U.S. Navy ships employed "non-lethal lasers" to ward off an Iranian vessel that passed within 150 yards of the American craft in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday night, military officials said.

December 6, 2022

‘We need the truth’: Lankford to block Pentagon nominees over COVID-19 vaccine rules

Sen. James Lankford said Tuesday he plans to block all confirmation votes on Defense Department nominees until the Pentagon explains why it has granted so few religious waivers for troops seeking to avoid the COVID-19 vaccine.

December 6, 2022

End of the road? Pentagon’s COVID vaccine mandate in danger as opposition mounts

Nearly four months ago, the Biden administration drove past an off-ramp that offered a chance to rethink and possibly scrap its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for U.S. troops.

December 6, 2022

Darkest hour: Cold, brutal winter awaits Ukraine as Russia relentlessly hits civilian targets

The war in Ukraine is entering its darkest hour, with Kyiv and its Western allies racing to repair energy and water infrastructure destroyed by Russian missiles and to deliver basic cold-weather supplies such as heaters and blankets to a population bracing for a brutal, trying winter.

November 30, 2022

Collateral damage: Ukraine war derails diplomacy as Russia scraps nuke talks with U.S.

The Kremlin on Tuesday confirmed it has called off scheduled nuclear arms talks with the U.S. in what analysts call a dangerous, "irresponsible" move, one that marks the latest example of how the fallout from Russia's war in Ukraine has spilled over into other arenas with potentially far-reaching repercussions.

November 29, 2022

Build the wall? Finland plans border fence with Russia as NATO membership looms

It's shaping up to be far less imposing than the Berlin Wall and not nearly as politically divisive as President Trump's coveted barrier between the U.S. and Mexico, but Finland's planned border fence with Russia looks to be a major geopolitical statement.

November 27, 2022

House Republicans see ‘obstruction’ in Biden administration’s freeze-out of Afghan watchdog

An under-the-radar fight between the Biden administration and an independent Afghanistan IG will soon be thrust into the spotlight.

November 24, 2022

Morale matters: Russian failures in Ukraine show how motivation, conviction determine winners in war

Morale and motivation have been deciding factors in battles throughout human history -- and they could ultimately spell doom for Russia's war in Ukraine.

November 21, 2022

Iran to face Western geopolitical rivals in World Cup as backlash mounts over its protest crackdown

Iran and its soccer team are in the international spotlight ahead of World Cup soccer games this month against Western rivals England, Wales and the U.S., with Tehran's brutal crackdown on domestic protests sparking blowback abroad and potentially fueling tension between its athletes and government leaders at home.

November 17, 2022

‘Treacherous attack:’ Bomb attack in Istanbul kills 6, wounds more than 50

An explosion rocked a busy street Sunday in Istanbul, killing six and wounding dozens more in what Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called a "treacherous attack."

November 13, 2022

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Articles by Ben Wolfgang

House GOP falls short in effort to get Pentagon info on ‘woke’ policies

Russia, Ukraine inch toward peace talks, but Moscow’s leverage vanishes as war drags on

Russia’s ammo ‘rapidly dwindling,’ may begin to run out in early 2023: Pentagon

U.S. helicopter raid kills two ISIS officials in Syria, Pentagon says

‘Fish’s head is completely rotten’: Russian military insiders aim at Putin over Ukraine war failures

Threat Status: How war in Ukraine derailed key U.S.-Russia nuclear negotiations

Brazen strikes deep inside Russia complicate support from U.S., allies for Ukraine

Guy Taylor & Ben Wolfgang launch Threat Status, a new weekly newsletter from The Washington Times

U.S. isn’t helping Ukraine hit targets inside Russia, officials say

Democrats join Republicans in move to repeal military’s vaccine mandate

Navy uses ‘non-lethal lasers’ to ward off Iranian ship in dangerous Strait of Hormuz encounter

‘We need the truth’: Lankford to block Pentagon nominees over COVID-19 vaccine rules

End of the road? Pentagon’s COVID vaccine mandate in danger as opposition mounts

Darkest hour: Cold, brutal winter awaits Ukraine as Russia relentlessly hits civilian targets

Collateral damage: Ukraine war derails diplomacy as Russia scraps nuke talks with U.S.

Build the wall? Finland plans border fence with Russia as NATO membership looms

House Republicans see ‘obstruction’ in Biden administration’s freeze-out of Afghan watchdog

Morale matters: Russian failures in Ukraine show how motivation, conviction determine winners in war

Iran to face Western geopolitical rivals in World Cup as backlash mounts over its protest crackdown

‘Treacherous attack:’ Bomb attack in Istanbul kills 6, wounds more than 50