Rebecca Skoryanc, Author at WestExec Advisors

Mike Singh quoted in The National article, “Pentagon Chief Voices Concern over Iranian Ships in Atlantic”

"Michael Singh, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said that Iranian naval vessels crossing the Atlantic Ocean 'is in itself not very concerning, much less threatening' but the transfer of weapons is… "Asked about US options, Mr Singh said that 'certainly, the US can threaten Venezuela and Cuba with sanctions for allowing Iranian military ships to dock in their ports. The bolder option would be to interdict the shipment at sea, but that would depend on [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2021-07-20T20:09:50-04:00June 10, 2021|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Bridge Colby quoted in The Wall Street Journal article, “Pentagon to Speed up Efforts to Counter China”

"'At this point, the say-do gap is the problem,' said Elbridge Colby, a former Pentagon official who played a key role in developing the national defense strategy during the Trump administration. 'We have had prioritization of China for several years. But not enough has been done to translate that into reality, and the problem is alarmingly urgent…'" Read the full article here: Full Article

Rebecca Skoryanc2021-07-20T20:03:57-04:00June 9, 2021|Cybersecurity & Defense|

Jim Jeffrey quoted in Foreign Policy article, “Biden to Prod Putin on Syria Relief”

"'The rest of Syria’s problems are not going to go away,' said James Jeffrey, a former career foreign service officer who served as Trump’s point person on Syria. Putin won’t open the lifelines for free, Jeffrey warned… "Jeffrey recalled Russian negotiators attending previous bilateral talks with the United States over Syria with a long list of its own requests, including freezing sanctions against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and halting efforts to block other countries and international development agencies from investing in [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2021-07-20T20:05:49-04:00June 9, 2021|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Rachel Ellehuus writes with Pierre Morcos in War on the Rocks: “NATO Should Finally Take Its Values Seriously”

"Several NATO allies may be shifting nervously in their seats when President Joe Biden takes the floor at the alliance’s upcoming June 14 summit. Rather than deliver the usual lecture on the importance of equitable burden sharing and increased defense spending, the new U.S. president is more likely to reflect on NATO’s founding principles. As U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed in his first visit to NATO headquarters, 'We also have to hold one another [accountable] to the values at [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2021-07-20T19:56:59-04:00June 9, 2021|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Michèle Flournoy interviewed in Project Syndicate podcast, “Is the US Ready For War?”

Michèle Flournoy discusses U.S. readiness in a renewed era of great power competition. Listen to the full podcast here: Full Podcast

Rebecca Skoryanc2021-07-20T23:41:14-04:00June 8, 2021|Cybersecurity & Defense|

Michèle Flournoy quoted in The Washington Post article, “He Spent Years at War in Afghanistan. Now He Commands the U.S. Withdrawal.”

"Michèle Flournoy, a senior defense official during the Obama administration, said military literature suggests that 'one of the most dangerous moments in any campaign is during a retrograde or a withdrawal under fire…'" Read the full article here: Full Article

Rebecca Skoryanc2021-08-02T21:07:04-04:00June 7, 2021|Cybersecurity & Defense|

Mike Singh quoted in Politico article, “The Never-Ending, Ever-Frustrating Hunt for the ‘Biden Doctrine’”

"It seems fair to ask, then: Why is it necessary to define a president’s foreign policy 'doctrine' at all? Isn’t dealing with some 200 countries, not to mention transnational threats like climate change and terrorism, complicated enough to defy easy summarization? Why do pundits try so hard to impose order on the messy reality of governing? "'I don’t know, honestly,' said Michael Singh, a Middle East specialist who served in former President George W. Bush’s National Security Council. 'Maybe we’re trying [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2021-07-20T20:10:50-04:00June 7, 2021|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Michèle Flournoy interviewed in Hopkins Podcast on Foreign Affairs, “Rebuilding America’s Military Edge”

"During the first decade of the 21st century, the U.S. defense department prioritized counterterrorism and counterinsurgency measures the Middle East and across the globe. A major shift in strategy began slowly but surely in 2012, driven partly by China’s more aggressive behavior and new military capabilities, including cyber and electronic weapons and precision missiles developed specifically to exploit US vulnerabilities. "Despite this shift in strategy, experts suggest that the Pentagon has not made the changes necessary to meet the threats posed [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2021-07-20T19:45:57-04:00June 4, 2021|Cybersecurity & Defense|

John Conger writes for Climate and Security: “Climate Security: A Tale of Two Defense Hearings”

"Sometimes you want to hear from the very top, and sometimes you want to get into the details. In the last couple of weeks, the U.S. Congress has done both, and each one teaches us something important about the way the Department of Defense (DoD) is planning to deal with climate change early in this Administration…" Read the full article here: Full Article

Rebecca Skoryanc2021-07-20T19:59:15-04:00June 3, 2021|Climate & Environment|

Bob Work quoted in Bloomberg Government article, “AI Experts Needed to Lead ‘Project Maven’ Move Within DOD”

"The Defense Department’s (DOD) secretive artificial intelligence task force called Project Maven is moving to a new home within the Pentagon’s intelligence and security apparatus. Now Defense officials are looking for an industry partner to manage the transition and provide ongoing support for the program… "Project Maven, formally known as the Algorithmic Warfare Cross-Functional Team (AWCFT), was established in 2017 to 'accelerate the DOD’s integration of big data and machine learning,' then-Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work wrote in a memo. Maven’s [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2021-07-20T19:52:13-04:00June 1, 2021|Cybersecurity & Defense|

About Rebecca Skoryanc