Andrew Curtis, Author at WestExec Advisors

Danny Russel interviewed in The Diplomat, “Danny Russel on US Asia Policy Under Biden”

"The Biden administration has placed the Indo-Pacific front and center during the past two months. From the virtual Quad summit – bringing together the leaders of Australia, Japan, India, and the U.S. for the first time – earlier this month to the overseas trips by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, the United States made its focus on the region clear through allocation of that most previous resource: time. "The Diplomat asked Danny Russel, vice president of [...]

Andrew Curtis2021-03-31T00:00:07-04:00March 31, 2021|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Michèle Flournoy interviewed in The Future of Defense, “Michèle Flournoy on China, NATO, and Strategic Defense Spending”

"Hon. Michèle Flournoy (former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy; Co-Founder & Managing Partner, WestExec Advisors) interviewed by The Hill's Steve Clemons on competing and cooperating with China, cybersecurity threats and disinformation campaigns as areas for NATO improvement, and adjusting Pentagon's defense spending to address evolving technological concerns…" Watch the full interview here: Full Article

Andrew Curtis2021-03-30T00:00:08-04:00March 30, 2021|Cybersecurity & Defense|

Bob Work writes in War on the Rocks: “Storm Clouds Ahead: Musings About the 2022 Defense Budget”

"It’s that time of year when the president’s annual budget is due to Congress, and with it, the annual update to the Pentagon’s future years defense program. The program is a projection of the forces, resources, and capabilities needed to support Department of Defense operations over a five-year period. The future years defense program covers the current 'year of execution' and the next four years. These five-year plans are typically delivered to Congress with the defense resources for the two previous [...]

Andrew Curtis2021-03-30T00:00:04-04:00March 30, 2021|Cybersecurity & Defense|

Bridge Colby quoted in Foreign Policy article, “Biden Administration Looks to Contain China With Allies’ Help, Despite No Asian NATO”

"The Biden administration has found a receptive ear in Asian capitals for pushing back on China’s territorial expansion. It is getting increased buy-in for the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue from Japan, as well as from long-wary partners India and Australia, which recently began military exercises together again after a long pause. And the new team is trying to make strides with Japan and South Korea by burying the hatchet on negotiations over the cost of hosting U.S. troops there… "'Basically every state [...]

Andrew Curtis2021-03-26T16:36:50-04:00March 26, 2021|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Meghan O’Sullivan writes in Bloomberg: “There’s No Hurry for Biden to Re-Enter the Iran Nuclear Deal”

"What sounded so simple during last year's presidential campaign has turned out, like everything related to Iran, to be quite complicated. President Joe Biden's administration would like to return to the Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, as it was negotiated and signed in 2015…" Read the full article here: Full Article

Andrew Curtis2021-03-25T04:00:55-04:00March 25, 2021|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Bob Work quoted in The Nation article, “National Security AI Commission Recommends Ramping up a Military Tech Race With China”

"Concern over China’s rise is already widespread among members of both parties, as is a sense that the United States is not doing enough to compete with China in the technological realm. And while some might question the need for more ships and planes to confront the Chinese, few debate the need for increased investment in advanced technologies. 'We believe we have powerful bipartisan consensus to win the technology competition with our strategic competitors,' said commission vice-chair Robert Work, a former [...]

Andrew Curtis2021-03-25T00:00:59-04:00March 25, 2021|Cybersecurity & Defense|

Danny Russel interviewed in NPR The World: Latest Edition: “Public Health Experts Push to End an Unfair Border Policy”

"H&M faces calls for a boycott in China after the company spoke out about Uyghur human rights abuses and concerns over forced labor in the production of cotton in Xinjiang province." This NPR The World: Latest Edition episode features Danny Russel, whose interview begins at the 28:30 mark. Listen to the full interview here: Full Interview

Andrew Curtis2021-03-25T00:00:29-04:00March 25, 2021|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Bob Work quoted in National Defense article, “Taiwan Viewed as Achilles’ Heel of U.S. Microelectronics Supply Chain”

"A potential Chinese takeover of neighboring Taiwan would pose a catastrophic threat to the United States supply of microelectronics, and Washington needs to take steps to reduce that vulnerability, former Deputy Secretary of Defense Bob Work warned March 24…" Read the full article here: Full Article

Andrew Curtis2021-03-24T00:00:45-04:00March 24, 2021|Economy & Trade|

Lincoln Bloomfield writes in Fletcher Forum: “Let Them Eat Smartphones: Reflections on the Wealth-Information Paradox”

"The early twenty-first century has brought a transformation in societies worldwide: a rapid change in how people live and work, the rewards for their exertions, how they feel about their lot in life, and where they turn for succor. To consider the hours spent daily by much of humanity staring at lit rectangular screens is to know how different life has become for the human race over the course of a single generation. As with the advent of printing presses, electricity, [...]

Andrew Curtis2021-03-24T00:00:14-04:00March 24, 2021|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Bob Work writes with James A. Winnefeld, Jr. and Stephanie O’Sullivan in War on the Rocks: “Steering in the Right Direction in the Military-Technical Revolution”

"A couple of years ago at the Beijing Xiangshan Forum, a senior executive at one of China’s largest defense companies claimed that 'mechanized equipment is just like the hand of the human body.' He continued, 'In future intelligent wars, AI systems will be just like the brain of the human body.' More recently, the People’s Liberation Army sought broad participation from young technology-savvy inventors in an AI challenge-style competition to develop the best algorithms to direct joint military forces in a [...]

Andrew Curtis2021-03-24T00:00:05-04:00March 24, 2021|Cybersecurity & Defense|

About Andrew Curtis