“‘It’s a grueling and exhausting job, particularly given how prominent this tool has become in the execution of U.S. foreign policy,’ said Elizabeth Rosenberg, a former Treasury official who now works at the Center for a New American Security…” Read the full article here: Full Article
"‘Will America lead the technology that secures Americans?’ asked Lisa Monaco, co-chair of the Aspen group, in an interview with Axios. ‘Will American values be reflected in the technologies of the future?’ “The Aspen Cybersecurity Group is co-chaired by Monaco, Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas) and IBM CEO Ginni Rometty…” Read the full article here: Full Article
“… While Michèle Flournoy, who served as undersecretary of defense for policy from 2009 to 2012, sees a greater focus on China as a wise move, she worries about the unexpected effects of creating a new office. “‘I’ve found, in general, that whenever it has a problem, the first tool DoD reaches for is “let’s reorganize the boxes on the chart.” Every time you do that, you create new seams, and then you have to compensate,’ she said. As an alternative, [...]
Michèle Flournoy speaks with John Donovan about Mattis' departure from the Department of Defense, previous administrations' approaches to AI in defense, and, with new technologies, how the U.S. military will evolve in the coming years…" Watch the full interview here: Full Invterview
“Michèle Flournoy, who served as the undersecretary of defense for policy under Obama, said that withdrawing assistance would provide serious leverage over Ukraine. “‘They’re counting on the U.S. to continue to support them in all kinds of ways — sanctions, diplomacy, military assistance, training and advising, putting pressure on Putin,’ she said. ‘So any sign that the U.S. is pulling back from Ukraine sends a signal that can be disproportionate…’” Read the full article here: Full Article
“‘We have selected women and men of extraordinary achievement and promise who in the mold of Senator John McCain have demonstrated their commitment to national security and public service,' said Rasmussen, who joined the McCain Institute as a senior director last year. 'Simply put, investing in the personal and professional development of the most promising emerging leaders engaged in national security and counterterrorism is vital for our future...’” Learn more about the fellowship here: Learn More
“‘Many, many governments are looking the other way and self-censoring on the issue of Xinjiang,' said Daniel R. Russel, the Obama administration’s assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs. 'Beijing is notoriously prickly about its self-declared 'core interests,' and few countries are willing to put the economic benefits of good relations with China at risk — let alone find themselves on the receiving end of Chinese retaliation...’" Read the full article here: Full Article
"President Trump’s decision this month to call off peace talks with the Taliban should not obscure the fundamental fact that a political settlement of the Afghanistan conflict remains the best way to protect U.S. national security interests and prevent terrorist attacks from originating in the region. "The U.S.-Taliban talks conducted on the U.S. side by Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. special representative for Afghanistan, made some progress. Although the draft deal has not been made public, it reportedly established conditions under which [...]
“The Trump administration is right to respond cautiously to last week’s Iranian attack on Saudi Arabia. As the U.S. protects its interests in the Middle East, it must not allow its military focus to be wrested away from Asia. "The threat from Iran pales in comparison to that from China. Iran’s economy is less than 1/20th the size of China’s. The leadership in Tehran may be especially hostile to the U.S., but it’s increasingly evident that their counterparts in Beijing are [...]
"On September 14, drones and cruise missiles struck Saudi Arabia’s most important oil-processing facility, at Abqaiq. The attacks don’t just threaten the global oil supply, of which Abqaiq accounts for roughly five percent. They pose a critical test for the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. "Iran has chosen to act very brazenly with these strikes. If there is no consequence for that choice, the Islamic Republic will be even more emboldened. Worse, an ineffectual response will send a message internationally [...]