Rebecca Skoryanc, Author at WestExec Advisors

Nicholas Rasmussen writes with Margaret Taylor in Lawfare: “Eleven Questions for Director of National Intelligence Nominee Rep. John Ratcliffe”

"Amid questions about the ability of the House and the Senate to function in regular order during a pandemic, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence will hold an open hearing on May 5 at 9:30 a.m. to consider the president’s nomination of Republican Rep. John Ratcliffe of Texas to serve as director of national intelligence. The hearing will be held in person, not remotely. "The revival of this controversial nomination—which had been announced and then withdrawn last summer—is certain to raise [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-05-12T14:18:46-04:00May 4, 2020|Cybersecurity & Defense|

Puneet Talwar writes with Anubhav Gupta in Foreign Affairs: “Modi’s Coronavirus Test”

"The novel coronavirus is an enormous test for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Not only must his government contain the spread of the virus in one of the densest, most populous countries in the world but it must prevent social-distancing measures from pushing India’s flagging economy over the cliff into free fall. Even before the pandemic, the country was struggling with slow growth, high unemployment, and widening social divisions. Now, the coronavirus is exacerbating all three problems—risking a perfect storm of [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-05-12T14:17:05-04:00May 4, 2020|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Lisa Monaco quoted in POLITICO article, “Biden Has Fought A Pandemic Before. It Did Not Go Smoothly.”

"Lisa Monaco, who served as Obama’s homeland security and counterterrorism adviser, remembered a notable exchange between Biden and then-Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan when the African leader visited the White House during the Ebola outbreak. "'The vice president was quite forceful with him to accelerate [his] response,' Monaco said. 'The message was: "We need you and your government to really step up and do more on detection, surveillance and tracing..."’" Read the full article here: Full Article

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-05-12T14:44:32-04:00May 4, 2020|Cybersecurity & Defense|

Tony Blinked interviewed on PBS NewsHour, “Blame and Counter-Charges: The U.S.-China Rhetorical War Over COVID-19”

"The government of China, has to be held accountable for failing to provide information in a timely fashion, failing to give access to international inspectors to get to the bottom of what happened. "But the other half of the story is this. Unfortunately, tragically, the Trump administration took down or undermined a lot of defenses that previous administrations had put in place to be able to warn of a pandemic, including a pandemic emerging from China..." Read the full transcript here: [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-05-12T14:46:01-04:00May 4, 2020|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Michèle Flournoy quoted in Inkstick article, “Now Is Not the Time for Diversity Backsliding”

"A lack of diversity, on the other hand, made it harder to introduce new ideas into the conversation. Michèle Flournoy, former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy who was the highest-ranking woman at the Department of Defense in its history when she was confirmed, described this struggle as the 'consensual straitjacket.' She told us: 'I think women are socialized to sort of think outside the box to solve problems, and to make connections, and to work horizontally to build networks and [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-05-12T14:34:12-04:00May 4, 2020|News|

Dan Shapiro quoted in Haaretz article, “Netanyahu Is ‘Confident’ in His Annexation Plan. Experts Outline His Next Steps”

"Netanyahu may want to rush through a vote on the annexation plan ahead of the November U.S. presidential election. But this mapping committee could throw him off schedule, notes former U.S. ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro. "'Leaving aside technical aspects, like whether the work can even be done right now because of the coronavirus restrictions, the mapping committee is likely to encounter a dynamic in which the leaders of the settlement communities will lobby for expanded definitions of their boundaries, and [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-05-12T14:38:14-04:00May 4, 2020|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Avril Haines interviewed in Brookings webinar, “Inspired to Serve – The Future of Public Service”

"On May 4, in honor of Public Service Recognition Week, the Foreign Policy program at Brookings, in partnership with the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service, hosted a webinar to highlight the critical role of service. Following welcome remarks by Brookings President John R. Allen and Commission Chairman Joseph J. Heck, Brookings Senior Fellow Fiona Hill moderated a conversation between Allen, Heck, Commissioner Avril Haines, and Brookings Senior Fellow Isabel Sawhill. Questions from the audience followed the discussion..." Watch [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-05-29T13:07:15-04:00May 4, 2020|News|

Lisa Monaco quoted in The Washington Post article, “As Washington Stumbled, Governors Stepped to the Forefront”

"Trump has complained that the federal stockpiles he inherited were inadequate to meet the pandemic’s demands. But Lisa Monaco, White House homeland security adviser under Obama, said those stockpiles were meant only to be a bridge. 'It was always envisioned that [during a pandemic], the federal government would step in and activate the supply chain and manufacturing,' she said..." Read the full article here: Full Article

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-05-12T14:36:05-04:00May 3, 2020|Cybersecurity & Defense|

Michèle Flournoy interviewed on the Defense and Aerospace Report podcast

In this episode, Vago Muradian interviews Michèle Flournoy about the lessons we need to bear in mind as we prepare for the next major crisis, great power competition in this environment, and the compelling case for U.S. global leadership... Listen to the full episode here: Full Episode

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-05-12T14:23:04-04:00May 2, 2020|Cybersecurity & Defense|

Danny Russel quoted in the Wall Street Journal article, “Biden Aims to Out-Tough Trump on China While Invoking His Obama Experience”

"In 2011 in Beijing, when the U.S. was still dealing with the aftermath of the financial crisis, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao told Mr. Biden, 'I’m sorry your economy is in such terrible shape,' according to Danny Russel, then the top White House adviser on Asia, who witnessed the exchange. Mr. Wen questioned whether Beijing’s multibillion-dollar investment in U.S. Treasury bills was safe. "The vice president replied that if China wanted to sell, 'please go ahead,' Mr. Russel recalled. More than 90% [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-05-12T14:47:39-04:00May 2, 2020|Geopolitical Perspectives|

About Rebecca Skoryanc