Cybersecurity & Defense - WestExec Advisors

Michèle Flournoy and Nick Rasmussen quoted in The Washington Post article: “To Prepare for the Next Pandemic, the U.S. Needs to Change Its National Security Priorities, Experts Say”

“'If the national security staff apparatus around the president is doing its job right, it should be able to coordinate different elements of the government,' said Nicholas J. Rasmussen, who was the director of the National Counterterrorism Center under Presidents Barack Obama and Trump... "Michèle Flournoy, a former defense official who has long been considered a leading contender to lead the Pentagon in a Democratic administration, said Americans were likely to expand their notion of national security to include protection from [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-06-26T11:31:06-04:00June 16, 2020|Cybersecurity & Defense|

Julie Smith writes with Jacob Stokes in the Washington Quarterly: “Facing Down the Sino-Russian Entente”

"'Great power competition' has, at least on paper, become the orienting principle for American strategy. That competition is usually defined as being between the United States and China as well as between the United States and the Russian Federation. Or it lumps them together in the vague category of 'great powers,' without much additional context. But a critical and underexamined factor in the current global geopolitical landscape is the relationship between Beijing and Moscow and how their ties affect US strategy [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-06-26T09:37:05-04:00June 15, 2020|Cybersecurity & Defense, Geopolitical Perspectives|

Michèle Flournoy participates in Lowy Institute event, “Unrest in America”

"On Thursday 11 June, Lowy Institute Executive Director Dr Michael Fullilove hosted an ‘in conversation’ online event with Kurt Campbell and Michèle Flournoy. They discussed the US presidential election, Washington’s relations with Beijing, the global implications of the coronavirus pandemic, and the unrest on America's streets..." Watch the full event here: Full Event

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-06-12T14:48:12-04:00June 10, 2020|Cybersecurity & Defense|

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|

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|

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|

Ron Clark and Shannon Kula share guidance for community protection and resilience in a piece published by Rutgers’ Miller Center: “Part VI: RESILIENCE: The Need for Universal Personal Protective Equipment”

In February, Dr. Clark and Dr. Kula and started developing guidance for vulnerable communities and faith-based organizations to help them understand evidence based best practices for the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal was to provide pragmatic guidance that was realistic, accessible and would positively impact their level of safety amidst a storm of misinformation... Read the latest guidance here: Latest Guidance

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-06-05T13:39:44-04:00June 1, 2020|Cybersecurity & Defense|

Bridge Colby quoted in The New York Times article, “As Virus Toll Preoccupies U.S., Rivals Test Limits of American Power”

"'I think what Beijing is pursuing — and it’s a rational interest — is hegemonic authority over Asia,' said Elbridge Colby, the former Pentagon official who was the main writer of the Trump administration’s National Defense Strategy, which focuses on how the American military should reshape itself for great-power competition with Russia and particularly China... "'We need to change things on Taiwan to improve the deterrent and make clearer where we stand,' said Mr. Colby, who added that the United States [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-06-05T13:53:12-04:00June 1, 2020|Cybersecurity & Defense|

Michèle Flournoy writes with Jim Townsend in Der Spiegel: “This Is at the Core of the Transatlantic Idea”

"The chairman of the SPD parliamentary group Rolf Mützenich has called for Germany to withdraw from NATO's nuclear participation . A debate that has long been smoldering among experts has now reached the public. Mützenich bases his position on the fact that the policies of the current US government make the use of nuclear weapons more likely. "We knew from decades of experience working with Germany on defense and security issues that this debate would come. It began when it was [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-06-05T13:41:42-04:00May 31, 2020|Cybersecurity & Defense|