Rebecca Skoryanc, Author at WestExec Advisors

Lisa Monaco and Nick Rasmussen quoted in The New York Times article, “Pointing a Finger at a Terrorist Group in the Aftermath of the Sri Lanka Blasts”

"Nicholas J. Rasmussen, a former director of the National Counterterrorism Center, said the presence of some Sri Lankan fighters in Syria and Iraq raised the prospect of informal connections with members of National Thowheeth Jama’ath still in Sri Lanka. “'It’s hard to imagine an attack of this complexity without some form of organization and support from a group that has done this kind of thing before,' Mr. Rasmussen said in an email. "Lisa Monaco, a former homeland security adviser for President [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-04-07T17:03:03-04:00April 22, 2019|Cybersecurity & Defense|

Julie Smith quoted in The Financial Times: “Germany’s search for a new diplomatic map”

“'It does feel at times like Germany is trying very hard to protect itself from acknowledging the huge transformational shifts that have taken place,' says Julianne Smith, a former foreign policy adviser to US vice-president Joe Biden and currently a fellow with the Robert Bosch Academy in Berlin. 'There is a lot of whistling past the graveyard in this city. People are constantly talking about the parameters of a world that no longer exists...'" Read the full article here: Full Article

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-04-07T17:03:18-04:00April 22, 2019|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Bridge Colby quoted in The Wall Street Journal article, “U.S. Pacific Commander Seeks More Funding to Counter China”

“‘Nothing is more important’ than getting the commander at IndoPacom what he needs, said Elbridge Colby, who was instrumental in the writing of the National Defense Strategy when he worked at the Pentagon. “‘Some people just don’t think it’s possible that we could lose a war against China or Russia if the Department doesn’t change fast. I think that misplaced disbelief is behind a lot of the inertia,’ Mr. Colby said in an email. “‘The Department is shifting well for such [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-04-07T17:03:26-04:00April 17, 2019|Cybersecurity & Defense|

The Organization of American States’ Inter-American Commission on Human Rights selects Michael Camilleri to serve as a member of the Expert Group on deliberate disinformation in electoral contexts

"The Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR/RFOE) presents the list of members of the Expert Group on deliberate disinformation in electoral contexts. With the support of the Mexican Electoral National Institution (INE), the Group will meet on April 23-24, 2019, at the Universidad Autónoma de México (UNAM) in Mexico City. "28 international experts were selected and invited based on their individual background and on their experience in the implementation of [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-04-07T17:03:48-04:00April 16, 2019|Press Releases|

Lisa Monaco featured on Snack Break with Aroop Podcast

"Host Aroop Mukharji interviews Lisa Monaco, Assistant to President Obama for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism (2013-2017), about the greatest national security threats Americans face, misperception, fear, and Goldfish crackers." Download the full podcast here: Full Article

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-04-07T17:03:57-04:00April 15, 2019|Cybersecurity & Defense|

Dan Shapiro in Haaretz: “What Will Trump Do First: Make Mideast Peace or Strike Iran?”

"President Donald Trump’s strong support for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his reelection campaign underscored the close alliance between the two leaders. On numerous issues, they have similar outlooks, have coordinated closely, and have defined their nation’s security, as well as their political fortunes, as being very much intertwined. "While the coalition negotiations are still ahead, it is clear that Netanyahu will continue in office, making continued smooth coordination between the two governments likely. Even so, some challenging decisions still lie [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-04-07T17:04:06-04:00April 15, 2019|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Lisa Monaco’s recent speech on the changing nature of cyberwar featured in The Washington Post’s “Daily 202”

"Lisa Monaco, who served as the homeland security adviser in Barack Obama’s White House, said many countries are changing how they approach the digital battlefield, from focusing primarily on espionage toward 'geopolitical one-upmanship.' “'The game is getting disrupted,' she said. 'If we had this conversation two and a half years ago, I would have described the threat I was seeing at the time as more diffuse, more sophisticated and more dangerous than at any other time in my career in government. [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-04-07T17:04:15-04:00April 15, 2019|Cybersecurity & Defense|

Dennis Ross quoted in Reuters article: “In leaky White House, Trump team keeps Middle East peace plan secret”

"Dennis Ross, a longtime Middle East envoy and now a distinguished fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said the U.S. team still has 'a lot of work to do to make sure that Arab leaders aren’t surprised by what’s going to be presented, and they need to see it in writing, not verbally.' "But he said secrecy at this point is understandable. “'Holding something very close makes sense and it’s not taken as a negative by the parties, [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-04-07T17:04:25-04:00April 10, 2019|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Liz Rosenberg featured on NPR to discuss Trump’s designation of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards as a foreign terrorist group

"Advisers to President Trump say he wanted to take this step for a long time. Pentagon officials, though, have raised concerns about what this could mean on the ground. A former sanctions adviser, Elizabeth Rosenberg, puts it this way: 'People are concerned that it makes it more difficult to work together when necessary. Perhaps that means sharing information to make sure that there's not a military mishap...'" Listen to the full interview here: Full Article

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-04-07T17:05:11-04:00April 8, 2019|Cybersecurity & Defense|

Ely Ratner quoted in Bloomberg article: “Don’t Count on U.S.-China Trade Relations Warming Up Anytime Soon”

"Beijing has a reputation for waiting out U.S. administrations in the hope that the next person in the White House will take a more modest approach. This time, that strategy is unlikely to work. Analysts agree that the policy direction presumably would have shifted toward a tougher line even if Hillary Clinton had won the presidency in 2016, though likely with stylistic differences. 'The paradigm on China needed to be broken,' says Ely Ratner, deputy national security adviser to former Vice [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-04-07T17:24:47-04:00April 4, 2019|Economy & Trade, Geopolitical Perspectives|

About Rebecca Skoryanc