Ben Wolfgang

The forgotten ‘forever war’: Biden boosts U.S. military footprint in Syria

President Biden has moved quickly to end America's "forever wars" in the Middle East with one very glaring exception: The counterterrorism mission in Syria, where a withdrawal does not appear to even be on the table and a high-stakes geopolitical standoff between Washington and Moscow has greatly complicated the U.S. calculus.

Humbled Pentagon faces questions on true loss of U.S. arms in Afghanistan

The nation's top general said Wednesday that there are "lessons to be learned" from a chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, all while he and other top Pentagon leaders face growing questions over whether the Biden administration has tried to hide the true extent of the weapons haul lost to the Taliban.

Biden officials removed lists of U.S. military gear in Afghanistan from government websites

The Biden administration two weeks ago removed online reports that provided key details on the U.S. military equipment provided to Afghan security forces over the past 20 years, some of which has found its way into Taliban hands after the abrupt American withdrawal from the country last month.

‘Lessons to be learned’ for Pentagon after chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal, top general says

The nation's top general said Wednesday that there are "lessons to be learned" from a rushed, chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan that ultimately left more than 100 Americans stranded in a country now controlled by the Taliban.

Defense Department holding 20,000 evacuated Afghans in U.S., 43,000 more overseas

The U.S. is holding more than 17,000 Afghan evacuees on American soil and has nearly 40,000 more overseas eyeing a future entry to the U.S., according to a new report.

Taliban celebrate, al Qaeda leaders return to Afghanistan day after U.S. exit

Taliban fighters celebrated at the Kabul airport Tuesday while key al Qaeda leaders made a triumphant return to Afghanistan, signaling a dark new reality for the country a day after Western troops withdrew and America ended the longest-running war in its history.

As U.S. exits, bin Laden’s security chief makes triumphant return in Afghanistan

The former security chief for al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has made a triumphant return to Afghanistan, fueling fears that the country is poised to again become the global epicenter of Islamist terrorism.

Last combat boot departs Afghanistan as U.S. ends longest war

The final U.S. military planes left Kabul on Monday, ending the longest war in the country's history and capping a frantic two-week evacuation effort that is leaving hundreds of Americans stranded in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

Pentagon: U.S. drone thwarts terrorist attack in Kabul; car loaded with bombs was headed to airport

The U.S. military thwarted an ISIS-K terrorist attack on the Kabul airport Sunday morning with a drone strike on a car filled with explosives heading toward the facility at a crucial moment in the Afghanistan evacuation effort, Pentagon officials said.

U.S. airstrike hits suicide bomber targeting Kabul airport, Taliban says

300 Americans trying to flee Afghanistan as withdrawal enters final stage

About 300 Americans are desperately trying to get out of Afghanistan ahead of President Biden's Tuesday withdrawal deadline, top administration officials said Sunday.

Pentagon identifies 13 U.S. troops killed in Kabul terrorist attack

The Defense Department on Saturday identified all 13 of the U.S. service members who were killed during Thursday's ISIS-K terrorist attack at the Kabul airport.

Marine officer relieved of command after blasting Pentagon’s ‘ineptitude’ in Afghanistan

A Marine Corps battalion commander was relieved of his post late Friday after posting a video to social media blasting the military's handling of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, saying Pentagon leaders should be held accountable for the foreign policy "ineptitude" seen in the Biden administration.

Drone strike kills two ISIS-K militants in Afghanistan, Pentagon says

U.S. drones targeted ISIS-K extremists in eastern Afghanistan on Friday, Pentagon officials said, in the first retaliation against the terrorist group a day after 13 American troops were killed and nearly 20 others wounded in an attack at the Kabul airport.

Father of Marine killed in Kabul slams president: ‘Biden turned his back on him’

The father of a Marine killed during Thursday's terrorist attack at the Kabul airport believes President Biden "turned his back" on the young service member and suggested that the U.S. made a grave error by trusting the Taliban to conduct security searches at the facility.

Shadowy ‘ISIS-K’ group well known for grisly attacks

It boasts only a few thousand fighters in its ranks, but the Islamic State-Khorasan -- or ISIS-K -- has built its reputation on high-profile, horrific terrorist attacks, from a brutal assault on an Afghan maternity ward 15 months ago to Thursday's dual suicide bombings that killed civilians and American troops at Kabul's airport.

Taliban claims ‘no proof’ Osama bin Laden involved in 9/11 attacks

Taliban leaders tried to rewrite history this week, arguing that there is "no proof" longtime al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was involved with the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Biden condemns terrorist attacks in Kabul, vows to ‘hunt down’ those who killed 13 U.S. troops

President Biden vowed to "hunt down" the terrorists who struck a major blow against America on Thursday after suicide bombers and gunmen killed at least 13 U.S. troops and dozens of Afghans at the Kabul airport, with military leaders warning more attacks are likely during the final days before the president's Aug. 31 deadline to withdraw.

‘Leave immediately’: State Dept. warns Americans at Kabul airport amid terror threat

The last-ditch effort to evacuate Americans from Afghanistan was upended Wednesday night amid a serious terror threat believed to be from the Islamic State's Afghan affiliate, with the State Department warning U.S. citizens to immediately flee sections of the Kabul airport.

Nearly 1,500 Americans stuck in Afghanistan as Kabul churns toward Aug. 31 deadline

The massive U.S. military-led airlift from Kabul turned toward a rocky home stretch Wednesday, with the Biden administration laying out its plan to save a final 1,500 Americans stuck in Afghanistan over the coming days as chaos continues to close in around the country's only international airport.