Rebecca Skoryanc, Author at WestExec Advisors

Charlie Bolden quoted in Aviation Week article, “Removing Blindfolds is Key to Building More Diverse Workforce”

"Born in 1946 and raised in segregated South Carolina, Bolden, an African American, set his sights on the U.S. Naval Academy, despite legislators from his district withholding their recommendations. "Bolden finally made it to the Naval Academy—and hated it. 'I thought it was tough. I thought it was unfair. I faced discrimination,' Bolden recalls. 'I cried to my mom and dad every weekend during my [freshman] year, saying I wanted to come home. My dad told me to just hang in there [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2021-03-29T00:59:32-04:00January 22, 2021|Social Impact|

Meghan O’Sullivan quoted in the New Atlanticist article, “The Many New Ways Energy and National Security Are Intersecting”

"Meghan O’Sullivan, director of the Harvard Kennedy School’s Geopolitics of Energy project, said that although the world is embracing renewable energy sources, 'even the most climate-friendly energy scenarios in the future all involve a reasonably substantial amount of oil and gas usage over time.' "A few 'petrostates' will continue to wield influence—in some cases even more influence because there will be a smaller number of them, said O’Sullivan, a former US deputy national security advisor for Iraq and Afghanistan..." Read the [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2021-01-22T13:26:19-05:00January 21, 2021|Economy & Trade|

Jamie Fly quoted in The New York Times article, “Russia Pushes U.S.-Funded News Outlet Toward Exit”

"'The Kremlin appears to be exploiting the chaos at U.S. international broadcasting,' said Jamie Fly, a former head of RFE/RL, who was fired by the Trump administration last summer. 'It may just be a tactical move to create issues to barter with a new administration, but this is going to be an administration much more skeptical of cooperation with the Kremlin than the previous one...'" Read the full article here: Full Article

Rebecca Skoryanc2021-03-29T00:56:52-04:00January 21, 2021|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Bridge Colby interviewed with Ian Brzezinski in FPRI’s Orbis, “How NATO Manages the ‘Bear’ and the ‘Dragon'”

"In March 2020, the secretary-general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Jens Stoltenberg, convened a “reflection group” to examine how the trans-Atlantic alliance can adapt to the new security challenges of the 2020s and beyond. As we await the final report and recommendation of this group of experts, Orbis Editor Nikolas Gvosdev asked Elbridge A. Colby and Ian Brzezinski to offer their own reflections and to discuss their perspectives on the future of the alliance and the next steps that [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2021-01-22T13:21:07-05:00January 19, 2021|Cybersecurity & Defense|

Dennis Ross writes in The Washington Post: “Biden Doesn’t Need to Rush Back into the Iran Nuclear Deal to Defuse Tensions”

"Iran has resumed enriching uranium to 20 percent in its secretive Fordow facility, which is literally built inside a mountain. Enrichment to this level puts Iran in a position where getting to weapons grade fissile material is not a big leap. It is certainly the most problematic of all the Iranian breaches of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the Iran nuclear deal. "Why is this happening now? Iran has clearly decided to build pressure on the incoming Biden administration, [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2021-01-22T13:18:54-05:00January 19, 2021|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Jamie Fly writes with Tim Morrison in The Dispatch: “Chemical Weapons in Russia an Early Test for Biden”

"Despite the Kremlin’s ongoing attacks against the United States and its allies, some influential foreign policy voices are already counseling the incoming Biden administration to prioritize arms control with Moscow. Those voices would do well to stop and consider the current threat Moscow poses to arms control itself. "Last month, Bellingcat and CNN revealed the results of an investigation into the August poisoning of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny, who was arrested Sunday by Russian authorities upon his return to Moscow [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2021-01-22T13:24:42-05:00January 18, 2021|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Vince Brooks quoted in Vice article, “The Military Can’t Save America From Trump”

"Part of the reticence about military involvement stems, former leaders said, from critiques of military involvement during the summer’s peaceful Black Lives Matters protests in Washington, D.C. 'I think that the events of the summer impacted the approach the military was expected to take,' General Vincent K. Brooks told VICE News. The former head of U.S. forces in Korea has written about the 'breach of sacred trust' that took place in June..." Read the full article here: Full Article

Rebecca Skoryanc2021-01-19T10:53:56-05:00January 12, 2021|Cybersecurity & Defense|

Bridge Colby quoted in The New York Times article, “State Dept. Moves to Ease Restrictions on Meeting with Taiwan Officials”

"With Beijing cracking down on democratic movements and asserting itself globally, it is critical to strengthen ties with Taiwan, Mr. Colby said. "'We need Taiwan to increase its resilience, its defensibility, its economic strength, because there’s a real possibility that China will take aggressive action against it,' he said..." Read the full article here: Full Article

Rebecca Skoryanc2021-01-19T10:55:35-05:00January 9, 2021|Cybersecurity & Defense, Geopolitical Perspectives|

Danny Russel quoted in Politico article, “Australia Offers Europe a Warning on a Trade Deal with China”

"Danny Russel, a senior official in the Obama White House dealing with China, said Australia’s predicament made clear that democracies need to work together to limit Beijing's use of its economic leverage. 'The heart of the matter is that if this intimidation play works against Australia ... there is going to be more of this behavior,' he argued..." Read the full article here: Full Article

Rebecca Skoryanc2021-01-19T10:57:31-05:00January 8, 2021|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Michèle Flournoy interviewed by The World, “How Trump’s ‘Dangerous State of Mind’ in Wake of Capitol Riot Could Harm U.S. National Security”

"I think longer term, the biggest concern I have is with China and Russia. They both like to perpetuate and proliferate this narrative of US decline, and you can be sure that the news, state-run media in both countries, are running the clips of the insurrection and the mob violence on the Capitol over and over and over again — not only to undermine US credibility but to discredit democracy itself. And that's a very harmful impact..." Read the full interview [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2021-01-19T10:52:19-05:00January 8, 2021|Cybersecurity & Defense|

About Rebecca Skoryanc