Rebecca Skoryanc, Author at WestExec Advisors

Dennis Ross writes with David Makovsky in The Hill: “The Problem With Trump’s Middle East Peace Plan”

"The Trump administration cannot decide if its peace plan is an opening gambit to trigger a compromise or a fait accompli that precludes one. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in answering a question about Palestinian responses to the Plan said, 'I hope they will then present a counteroffer if what’s presented isn’t acceptable.' Fair enough, except that David Friedman, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, declared that Israel can unilaterally annex territories allotted in the plan once a bilateral U.S.-Israeli panel finishes [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-03-04T10:55:07-05:00February 23, 2020|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Julie Smith quoted in The New York Times article, “For a President Who Loves Crowd Size, India Aims to Deliver”

"'World leaders have learned to shorten or scrap the historical tours, remove local delicacies from the menu and focus on one thing only: feeding his ego,' said Julianne Smith, the director of the Asia program at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. 'That’s taken different forms in recent years, but the goal is always the same—make Trump feel like he’s getting something unique: a parade in Paris, a grand state dinner at Buckingham Palace or a sumo match with [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-03-04T11:00:44-05:00February 23, 2020|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Lisa Monaco on The Lawfare Podcast

"Lisa Monaco was Barack Obama's counterterrorism and Homeland Security advisor in the White House, and headed the Justice Department's national security division. Sophia Yan is a Beijing-based correspondent for the British newspaper The Telegraph. Lisa and Sophia may not seem to have a lot in common, but these days, they are both spending a lot of time thinking about coronavirus. Monaco managed epidemic and pandemic disease events for the Obama administration, and Yan is in the middle of covering the ongoing [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-04-07T17:29:28-04:00February 22, 2020|Cybersecurity & Defense|

Michèle Flournoy quoted in The Washington Times article, “Trump’s Peace Hopes for Afghanistan Threatened by Confusion in Kabul”

"'The whole purpose of this U.S.-Taliban agreement is to induce the Taliban to come to the negotiating table with the Afghan government and other representatives of Afghan society,' said Michèle Flournoy, who was a high-level Pentagon official in the Obama administration. "'It’s very, very important that the delegation that sits across from the Taliban be inclusive, not only members of the Ghani administration, but also the political opposition, civil society and especially women and younger Afghans,' Ms. Flournoy said this week [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-03-04T10:52:19-05:00February 20, 2020|Cybersecurity & Defense, Geopolitical Perspectives|

Lisa Monaco quoted in POLITICO article, “Trump Taps Fierce Ally Grenell As Top Intelligence Official”

"Lisa Monaco, who served as homeland security director in the Obama White House, said, 'The intelligence Community is a diverse enterprise; given the wide array of threats and complexity of the global challenges we face -- this country and, most importantly, the men and women of the intelligence community, need an experienced national security and intelligence professional at the helm...'" Read the full article here: Full Article

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-02-24T15:46:24-05:00February 19, 2020|Cybersecurity & Defense, News|

Lisa Monaco interviewed on CNN’s New Day

"The president is the chief law enforcement officer. Of course he is. Just like he's the commander in chief of the armed forces. Just like he's the chief diplomat. But the difference here is past presidents have chosen to delegate those powers to their attorney general, to their secretary of defense, to their secretary of state. Why? Because the president occupies a unique role. He is both the head of our government and the head of his political party. That makes [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-02-24T15:44:36-05:00February 19, 2020|News|

Michèle Flournoy interviewed by the Council on Foreign Relations, “Prospects for Peace in Afghanistan”

"Speakers [Michele Flournoy and Carter Malkasian] discuss the seven-day reduction of violence deal in Afghanistan reached by the Trump administration and the Taliban and the prospects for peace..." Read the full transcript here: Full Transcript

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-02-24T15:39:54-05:00February 19, 2020|Cybersecurity & Defense, Geopolitical Perspectives|

Mike Singh writes in The Washington Post: “Trump is Right to Bide His Time in Renewing A Nuclear Treaty with Russia”

"Next February, the New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty), which limits U.S. and Russian strategic nuclear weapons, will expire. With the demise of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) last year following Russian violations, and Moscow’s flouting of other treaties meant to limit U.S.-Russian competition, the lapse of New START could prove to be the final nail in the coffin of the post-Cold War arms-control regime. "That prospect has raised alarms on Capitol Hill, where Republicans and Democrats alike find themselves [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-02-24T15:33:19-05:00February 19, 2020|Cybersecurity & Defense|

Dan Shapiro quoted in NPR article, “Israel Is Eager To Annex West Bank Lands, But U.S. Says To Wait”

"'[Kushner] understands that an immediate move by Israel to annex these territories will pretty much strangle those efforts to recruit Arab support in the crib,' says former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro. 'That left Netanyahu a little bit hung out to dry, but he had to make an adjustment to this now more definitive U.S. position...' "'Trump would not have rolled this plan out when he did if he didn't think it would provide some benefit to Netanyahu. But it [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-02-24T15:43:14-05:00February 19, 2020|Geopolitical Perspectives|

WestExec Welcomes Admiral Bill Moran, USN (Ret.) and Rachel Ellehuus

Washington, DC – WestExec Advisors is pleased to announce Admiral William "Bill" Moran, USN (Ret.) has joined its distinguished team of principals. ADM Moran is the former Vice Chief of Naval Operations and the former Chief of Naval Personnel. He recently retired, culminating 38 years of service as the U.S. Navy's second-highest ranking officer. In his last role in the Navy, ADM Moran led many important budget initiatives and contributed on all key operational decisions. He was responsible for guiding an [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-03-04T10:50:41-05:00February 18, 2020|Press Releases|

About Rebecca Skoryanc