Rebecca Skoryanc, Author at WestExec Advisors

Danny Russel interviewed in Nikkei Asia: “US Must Outcompete China for A Stable Relationship”

"If we took a step back and looked broadly at the historical record, we see that the United States deliberately chose a policy of engaging China and supporting its development, first back in 1972 under President Richard Nixon, where this was part of the strategy for containment of the Soviet Union, but then again in the '90s, when Bill Clinton was president, after the end of the Cold War, the collapse of the Soviet Union. There was a second policy of [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2021-08-02T22:26:12-04:00July 10, 2021|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Larry Gumbiner interviewed in The Dialogue: “What Does the Future Hold for Peru’s Oil & Gas?”

“Resource nationalism helped catapult Pedro Castillo to the verge of the presidency. He won handily in regions where mining and energy resources predominate. But Castillo is a political blank slate, with no governance experience and scant ideological formation beyond simple platitudes. His union with the Perú Libre Party of committed Marxist Vladimir Cerrón is a marriage of convenience formed for the election. Castillo’s tack toward the center after the first round may reflect his real views or mere expediency to calm [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2021-08-02T22:28:49-04:00July 9, 2021|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Bridge Colby quoted in Lawfare article, “Water Wars: No One in the Mood for Compromise in the South China Sea”

"The Pentagon is also considering establishing a permanent naval task force in the Pacific to counter China’s growing aggression, according to sources interviewed by Politico. Although not yet finalized, Politico notes that the initiative 'would add muscle to President Joe Biden’s tough talk on China and send a signal that the new U.S. administration is serious about cracking down on Beijing’s military buildup and aggressive behavior in the Pacific region.' According to Elbridge Colby, a former Trump Pentagon official, the initiative [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2021-08-02T23:02:37-04:00July 7, 2021|Cybersecurity & Defense|

Jim Jeffrey quoted in Bloomberg article, “Biden, Putin Face Post-Summit Test Over Syria Cooperation”

“'The basic strategic question is what Russia will demand from the international community and the U.S. in return for saving these 3.5 million people,' said James Jeffrey, who recently served as the American envoy for Syria and negotiated cross-border aid with Moscow. 'The U.S. is putting a lot of emphasis on this and it’s getting a lot of attention, but Putin won’t do this just to make us happy...'” Read the full article here: Full Article

Rebecca Skoryanc2021-08-02T22:31:41-04:00July 6, 2021|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Michèle Flournoy interviewed in Modern War Institute podcast, “Back to the Future: Resetting Special Operations Forces for Great Power Competition”

"Special operations forces have been a favorite national security tool in the post-9/11 era; wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have consumed their attention and kept the special operations community focused on counterterrorism and counterinsurgency missions. However, the release of the 2017 National Security Strategy pivoted the United States’ strategic focus from terrorism to near-peer competitors China and Russia. What will be the role of special operations forces (SOF) in this era of great power competition? Where is SOF falling short in [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2021-08-02T22:19:40-04:00July 2, 2021|Cybersecurity & Defense|

John Conger quoted in Bloomberg Law article, “Biden Climate Promises Bump Against Bureaucracy’s Grinding Gears”

"The Senate also has yet to confirm a slew of the president’s top political appointees at the Defense Department, including officials who manage acquisition, personnel and readiness, and research and engineering. The tight deadline means that career officials are likely being asked to develop a plan that political appointees will need to implement once they’re confirmed, said John Conger, who oversaw environmental policy at the Defense Department during the Obama administration. “'There’s a degree of urgency coming from the White House: [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2021-08-02T22:27:22-04:00June 30, 2021|Climate & Environment|

John Conger quoted in Bloomberg article, “Biden Climate Promises Bump Against Bureaucracy’s Grinding Gears”

"The Senate also has yet to confirm a slew of the president’s top political appointees at the Defense Department, including officials who manage acquisition, personnel and readiness, and research and engineering. The tight deadline means that career officials are likely being asked to develop a plan that political appointees will need to implement once they’re confirmed, said John Conger, who oversaw environmental policy at the Defense Department during the Obama administration. "'There’s a degree of urgency coming from the White House: [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2021-08-02T22:21:39-04:00June 30, 2021|Climate & Environment|

John Conger quoted in Inside Climate News article, “How the Marine Corps Struck Gold in a Trash Heap as Part of the Pentagon’s Fight Against Climate Change”

"That sort of thinking—'Rather than talking about how to protect the environment, but how to protect yourself from the environment,' as Conger puts it—helped to shift the military’s approach to climate change. 'When you start talking about … "How can I ensure I can do my mission?" the enthusiasm level is significant,' Conger says..." Read the full article here: Full Article

Rebecca Skoryanc2021-08-02T22:55:42-04:00June 30, 2021|Climate & Environment|

Matt Waxman quoted in Newsweek article, “Cybersecurity Firms Take the Offensive While Avoiding ‘All-Out War’”

"Cyberattacks on public and private entities in the U.S. occur every 39 seconds. The Microsoft Digital Defense Report for 2020 found that most attacks by nation states come from China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran. "But lack of transparency is a major challenge when it comes to holding these nations accountable through international law. "'It's much, much harder to penetrate what's going on with an adversary's cyber capabilities,' Matthew Waxman, an expert in international law and cybersecurity with the Council on [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2021-08-02T22:20:49-04:00June 29, 2021|Cybersecurity & Defense|

Matt Waxman quoted in Newsweek article, “Cybersecurity Firms Take the Offensive While Avoiding ‘All-Out War'”

"Without a cyberwar to set precedent, Waxman said nations must blaze their own trails when navigating this new territory. When interpreting what constitutes an offensive attack, Waxman said the intent to cause damage serves as one signal on an operational level. Beyond that, the line between espionage and warfare becomes blurred..." Read the full article here: Full Article

Rebecca Skoryanc2021-08-02T22:30:22-04:00June 29, 2021|Cybersecurity & Defense|

About Rebecca Skoryanc