Rebecca Skoryanc, Author at WestExec Advisors

Meghan O’Sullivan quoted in S&P Global article, “Economists Wonder: Did COVID-19 Accelerate Timeline for Peak Oil Demand?”

"'We see a real absence of international cooperation during this moment of global crisis,' Meghan O'Sullivan, an international affairs professor at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government said May 20, pointing to early efforts by wealthy countries to procure vaccine manufacturing for the benefit of their own citizens. 'But then we see more conventional manifestations of nationalism: Doubling down on calls to reshore manufacturing, growing talk about protectionist measures, a lot of talk in the United States about the use of [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-06-12T14:52:40-04:00June 8, 2020|Economy & Trade|

Mike Singh quoted in The Washington Post article, “How Trump’s Failed ‘Maximum Pressure’ Tactics Could Inspire a Pre-Election Provocation”

"There is remarkable agreement across the spectrum of Iran experts on what this campaign has achieved: not much. '"Maximum pressure" has caused unprecedented economic pain for the Iranian regime, but has not yet resulted in any outcome that advances American interests,' concluded an analysis by Michael Singh, who was senior director for Middle East affairs at the National Security Council during the George W. Bush administration. 'It has not resulted in a new U.S.-Iran negotiation, ended or meaningfully obstructed Iranian regional [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-06-12T14:49:07-04:00June 7, 2020|Cybersecurity & Defense|

Nick Rasmussen quoted in The New York Times article, “French Military Says It Killed Top Qaeda Leader in Africa”

“‘If confirmed to be true, the death of Droukdal removes one of the most senior and most durable leaders of AQIM, a longstanding Al Qaeda affiliate,' said Nicholas Rasmussen, the former head of the National Counterterrorism Center in Washington. 'Droukdal remained doggedly loyal to Al Qaeda’s senior leadership...'” Read the full article here: Full Article

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-06-12T14:59:18-04:00June 6, 2020|Cybersecurity & Defense|

Dan Shapiro quoted in The Hill article, “US Image Takes a Hit as World Reacts to Floyd Protests”

"Daniel Shapiro, former U.S. ambassador to Israel in the Obama administration, said the current moment reminds him of the challenges he faced talking about the inability of the U.S. to confront gun violence and the epidemic of school shootings. “‘It really was — humiliating is an accurate phrase but doesn’t fully capture it. It’s more a feeling of shame, of our inability to address our own problems,' he said. "Shapiro noted that the protests actually show instances of hope and inspiration, [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-06-12T14:58:36-04:00June 6, 2020|Geopolitical Perspectives|

WestExec Managing Partner, Principals and Senior Advisors among 89 former defense officials to write in The Washington Post: “The Military Must Never Be Used to Violate Constitutional Rights”

"President Trump continues to use inflammatory language as many Americans protest the unlawful death of George Floyd and the unjust treatment of black Americans by our justice system. As the protests have grown, so has the intensity of the president’s rhetoric. He has gone so far as to make a shocking promise: to send active-duty members of the U.S. military to 'dominate' protesters in cities throughout the country — with or without the consent of local mayors or state governors. "On [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-06-08T10:46:51-04:00June 5, 2020|Cybersecurity & Defense|

Julie Smith quoted in The New York Times article, “Trump Plans to Withdraw Some U.S. Troops From Germany, a Key NATO Ally”

"'What Trump will never understand is that this move won’t hurt Merkel at all,' said Julianne Smith, a former Obama administration official now with the German Marshall Fund of the United States. 'If he’s hoping to hurt her politically, this does nothing. It actually hurts us more. We are cutting off our nose to spite our face...'" Read the full article here: Full Article

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-06-12T14:50:26-04:00June 5, 2020|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Dennis Ross writes in The Washington Post: “Netanyahu Sees a Historic Moment in Annexation. But He Might Not Be Seeing the Risks.”

"One late night, while I sat with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the middle of negotiating what would become the Hebron protocol, he told me 'I will do what Ben-Gurion did.' I knew he was a disciple of the 'revisionist' movement, bitter enemies of David Ben-Gurion, so I said 'you mean Menachem Begin.' And he shot back: 'No, not Begin, Ben-Gurion — he did the big stuff.' "As I wrestled to understand why Netanyahu seems so determined to press ahead with [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-06-12T14:47:04-04:00June 5, 2020|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Danny Russel writes in The Diplomat: “The 3 Flashpoints That Could Turn a US-China ‘Cold War’ Hot”

"The coronavirus graphically demonstrated that even recognized risks can catch the world off guard. SARS and Ebola had alerted the world to the danger of a zoonotic virus. Just last year, governments and international agencies issued clear and repeated warnings. The U.S. government ran simulations of an outbreak code-named 'Crimson Contagion' that highlighted the threat. An international panel of experts convened by the World Health Organization warned explicitly of the pandemic threat to human life and the global economy. Yet when [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-06-05T13:33:52-04:00June 3, 2020|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Michèle Flournoy keynotes CSIS Future Strategy Forum

Michèle Flournoy explores how Covid-19 will impact national security in her keynote address to kickoff the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) 2020 Future Strategy Forum, an initiative to connect scholars who research national security with its leading practitioners... Watch the full keynote here: Full Keynote

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-06-05T13:36:07-04:00June 2, 2020|Cybersecurity & Defense|

Danny Russel quoted in Bloomberg Businessweek article, “In Hong Kong, Xi Jinping Takes a Page From Vladimir Putin’s Playbook”

"Daniel Russell, a former U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, sees Xi’s fulfillment of a domestically popular mission to unify the motherland as one of several echoes of Russia’s 2014 move on Crimea. The 'muscular assertion of sovereign power at a moment of weakness at home' is another. Putin had been struggling with low approval ratings since returning to power two years before and could ill afford to appear weak, after losing a struggle to keep [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-06-05T13:55:42-04:00June 2, 2020|Geopolitical Perspectives|

About Rebecca Skoryanc