Rebecca Skoryanc, Author at WestExec Advisors

Michèle Flournoy signs “Aspen Strategy Group Statement on National Service”

"As our nation faces an unprecedented set of crises—pandemic, recession, racial injustice—Americans must respond with bold measures that will unite our country, expand economic opportunity, and help our country recover. We in the Aspen Strategy Group believe a new National Service mission must be part of that response. Our group of Republican and Democratic foreign policy professionals calls upon Congress and the White House to commit to a major initiative to make national service a reality..." Read the full statement here: [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-10-20T16:26:15-04:00October 15, 2020|Social Impact|

Vikram Singh quoted in NPR article, “Gen. Milley: ‘We’re Trying to End A War Responsibly, Deliberately’”

"Vikram Singh, a former Pentagon official who now works at the U.S. Institute of Peace, said the war has continued now for nearly 20 years at every American force level. "The U.S. troops, he said, 'provide some leverage over the parties in the conflict. But it should be clear now that American troops levels have little to do with ending the war.' "The Taliban want international support and funds, Singh added..." Read the full article here: Full Article

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-10-20T16:21:09-04:00October 14, 2020|Cybersecurity & Defense|

Mike Singh writes in War on the Rocks: “As Israel, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates Normalize Ties, China Looks on Warily”

"In a world starved for good news, the normalization agreements that Israel recently signed at the White House with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain were met with near-universal praise. In a region more often associated with risk, the deals seemed to signal opportunity — for stability, for peace, and for profit..." Read the full article here: Full Article

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-10-20T16:08:35-04:00October 13, 2020|Cybersecurity & Defense|

Colin Thomas-Jensen quoted in Bloomberg article, “Trump Demands a Plan to Withdraw U.S. Troops from Somalia”

"'If the U.S. significantly withdraws its military footprint in Somalia, the government’s already tenuous hold on security in the country will be significantly weakened,' said Colin Thomas Jensen, a senior adviser with WestExec Advisors and former Africa policy adviser to ex-U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power. 'Al Shabaab will look to take advantage...'" Read the full article here: Full Article

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-10-20T16:22:47-04:00October 13, 2020|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Dan Shapiro quoted in Foreign Policy article, “How a Maritime Deal with Israel Could Ease Lebanon’s Woes”

"Dan Shapiro, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel, said the United States has been promoting maritime border talks between the sides as far back as 2012, viewing it as low-hanging diplomatic fruit. "'This is a win-win, if you can get the deal. Both sides can do the exploration. Both sides can get the revenue that it would produce. How you split the baby is a technical matter and not really that difficult. The political hurdle was Hezbollah not being prepared to [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-10-20T16:13:36-04:00October 13, 2020|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Danny Russel quoted in The Washington Post article, “Trump Promised to Bring China to Heel. He Didn’t and the Result Is A Pitched Conflict Between the World’s Two Major Powers.”

"'We treated China like an enemy, we named them an enemy and we’re getting what we asked for,' said Daniel Russel, an Asia Society expert who was a high-ranking foreign policy aide in the Obama administration. Xi is facing his own domestic pressures, Russel added, 'but what I don’t see is the kind of empirical evidence that he is reining in his ambitions or global strategy as a result...'" Read the full article here: Full Article

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-10-20T16:19:25-04:00October 11, 2020|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Joe Maguire quoted in The New York Times article, “John Ratcliffe Pledged to Stay Apolitical. Then He Began Serving Trump’s Political Agenda.”

"'He is doing exactly what the administration brought him in to do as D.N.I.,' said Joseph Maguire, whom Mr. Trump dismissed as acting director of national intelligence in February..." Read the full article here: Full Article

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-10-20T16:18:03-04:00October 9, 2020|Cybersecurity & Defense|

Danny Russel quoted in Times of India article, “What Could Happen If China Invaded Taiwan”

"'Beijing’s strategy isn’t just based on undermining Taiwan’s resistance, it’s also a gamble on how the US will approach the cross-strait issue,' Daniel Russel, a former top State Department official under President Barack Obama, said in Taipei on Sept. 8. 'The strongest driver of increased Chinese assertiveness is the conviction that the Western system, and the US in particular, is in decay...'" Read the full article here: Full Article

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-10-20T16:24:13-04:00October 8, 2020|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Liz Rosenberg quoted in The Wall Street Journal article, “U.S. Sanctions Additional Iranian Banks”

"'This cannot be expected to bring the regime to its knees,' said Elizabeth Rosenberg, a former Treasury sanctions official now at the Center for a New American Security. 'Iranian leaders have been very clear that they will turn to barter and illegal arrangements than capitulate under economic pressure...'" Read the full article here: Full Article

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-10-20T16:15:35-04:00October 8, 2020|Economy & Trade|

Bridge Colby writes with Jim Mitre in War on the Rocks: “Why the Pentagon Should Focus on Taiwan”

"China is now the official 'pacing threat' for the U.S. armed forces. Simply put, the Pentagon considers the People’s Liberation Army its most serious competition. This is a major and vital shift. But competing with China is a tremendously broad concept that could take any number of forms, and the reality is that China is too powerful to permit the U.S. defense establishment to fritter away money. The Defense Department needs to focus. Most of all, it needs to be capable [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-10-20T15:51:01-04:00October 7, 2020|Cybersecurity & Defense|

About Rebecca Skoryanc