Ben Wolfgang
The Washington Times
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Recent articles by Ben:
How Putin’s war in Ukraine has backfired spectacularly
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was designed to topple the government in Kyiv, fracture NATO, and cement Moscow’s status as both a fearsome 21st-century military machine and an irreplaceable energy kingpin that could use its oil and gas reserves to bully Europe. → Read More
Inside U.S. troops’ fight against the Pentagon’s ‘unjust’ COVID vaccine mandate
They didn’t make the decision lightly, as they were fully aware it would likely cost them their military careers. But for U.S. troops who refused the federally mandated COVID-19 vaccine, it was a sacrifice worth making. → Read More
Tanking? Russia’s struggles raise new questions over armored advantage
The classic armored tank’s future as an effective battlefield weapon is once again in question amid a less-than-stellar showing so far in Russia’s nearly three-week military campaign in Ukraine, which has seen the iconic ground combat vehicles routinely reduced to rubble by anti-tank weapons, drones and other countermeasures. → Read More
Russian forces reportedly enter eastern Ukraine; Moscow weighs permanent bases in Donbass
Russian forces reportedly entered eastern Ukraine and the Kremlin signaled it may establish permanent military bases in the country’s disputed Donbas region Tuesday, as Britain, Germany and other key NATO members unveiled new economic sanctions and other punitive measures on Moscow aimed at stopping a full-fledged Russian invasion. → Read More
Johnson’s political fate hangs in balance as ‘Partygate’ report looms, opponents seize on scandal
Boris Johnson mounted a last-ditch defense Wednesday against outraged and energized political enemies who say that a string of COVID-19 lockdown-breaching parties ought to be the final straw in what’s been a tumultuous two-and-a-half-year reign for the colorful British prime minister. → Read More
Moscow plans to install pro-Russia puppet regime in Ukraine, British officials allege
Moscow plans to force out Ukraine’s political leaders and install a pro-Russian figure atop the government in Kyiv, Britain’s Foreign Office alleged Saturday. → Read More
‘Not messing around’: China’s rapid military advances stoke fear, catch Pentagon by surprise
Over just the past several months, major revelations about the extent of China’s hypersonic weapons capabilities, its nuclear arms stockpile, and even the size of its navy have sparked concerns that Washington may not have a full window into exactly what its 21st-century rival has up its sleeve, or what may be under development deep inside the communist nation. → Read More
Metallurgist pleads guilty to faking steel test results for Navy sub hulls
A Washington state metallurgist pleaded guilty Monday to falsifying hundreds of test results for steel used to produce U.S. Navy submarines, the Justice Department said. → Read More
Outside looking in: After Afghanistan, U.S. scrambles for bases in central Asia
President Biden is racing to find partners in central Asia willing to host U.S. troops, materiel and intelligence assets that the Pentagon says are vital to keep al Qaeda, ISIS and other extremist outfits from launching deadly attacks out of Afghanistan, even as China and Russia expand their own power in the strategically vital region and work to elbow out Washington. → Read More
EXCLUSIVE: Disinformation, division ‘true constitutional threat,’ top Air Force general warns
Russian social media disinformation campaigns and the increasingly hostile political battles they've fueled across America represent a "true constitutional threat" to the nation, contributing to COVID-19 vaccine skepticism and other serious issues in the military and beyond, a top Air Force general told The Washington Times this week. → Read More
EXCLUSIVE: China’s military consistently beats U.S. estimates
The capabilities of the Chinese military continue to beat U.S. estimates, and neither the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War nor any other country in recent history has consistently exceeded Pentagon and intelligence community projections to this extent, a top Air Force general said Wednesday. → Read More
‘Korean identity’: Growing North-South ties crucial in U.S.-led diplomacy, analysts say
A deep sense of shared identity between citizens of North and South Korea remains alive and well, and the potential for at least some level of reconciliation between those two nations should be at the center of America's diplomatic efforts, former top U.S. officials and regional experts said Tuesday. → Read More
‘Starting to be a problem’: Biden scrambles to stop Iran’s ‘increasingly dangerous’ nuclear program
Top Biden administration officials warned that Iran's nuclear program is "starting to be a problem." → Read More
‘Weakness arouses evil’: Pence slams Biden’s Iran policy, says America’s enemies emboldened
The Biden administration's decision to pursue a new round of nuclear negotiations with Iran is the latest in a string of foreign policy missteps that could embolden America's enemies "to test our resolve" around the world, former Vice President Mike Pence said at the "Free Iran Summit" event in Washington on Thursday. → Read More
F-35 crossroads: Critics, supporters clash on future of cutting-edge fighter jet
The F-35 fighter jet has reached a pivotal moment. → Read More
Top U.S. general sounds alarm over China’s hypersonic weapons test
China's recent test of a major hypersonic weapon system is "very close" to a "Sputnik moment" in the standoff between the U.S. and its chief global rival, America's top general said in an interview that aired Wednesday, highlighting deep concern inside the Pentagon over Beijing's growing military capabilities. → Read More
ISIS-K could be able to strike U.S. within 6 months, Pentagon official says
The terrorist group ISIS-K wants to use its home base in Afghanistan to launch attacks against the U.S. and could have the ability to do so within six months, a senior Pentagon official told Congress on Tuesday. → Read More
Chaos in Sudan after military coup, prime minister arrested
The prime minister of Sudan was arrested in a stunning military coup Monday morning, sparking mass protests in the capital city of Khartoum and elsewhere across the country while fueling even more chaos across the already dangerous, unstable Horn of Africa. → Read More
‘Plan Z’: With Afghanistan lost, U.S. weighs help from Taliban, adversaries in terror fight
America’s top generals say a counterterrorism partnership with the Taliban is a possibility. They’ve even explored a potential deal with Vladimir Putin to use Russian military bases as a launchpad for U.S. strikes on extremist targets. → Read More
‘We are all witnesses’: Retired Air Force officers call for congressional hearings on UFOs
'A steady stream of high-profile UFO sightings by U.S. military personnel over the past 75 years warrant more scrutiny and should immediately spur serious congressional hearings, a group of retired Air Force officers said Tuesday as they recounted their own personal experiences with unidentified craft decades ago. → Read More