Geopolitical Perspectives - WestExec Advisors

Dennis Ross writes with Dana Stroul in Foreign Policy: “The United States Can Offer the People of Lebanon and Iraq Something Tehran Can’t”

"Protests and upheaval are sweeping Iraq and Lebanon. The wrath of demonstrators in the streets is being directed against their own political classes and at Iran’s government. Citizens in Lebanon and Iraq are not only fed up with economic mismanagement, ineffective governance, and entrenched corruption of political elites at home, but they also directly link their dismal situation to Tehran’s corrupting influence and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’s exploitation of their countries to fund and arm militias unaccountable to their countries. [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-01-16T21:36:46-05:00December 24, 2019|Cybersecurity & Defense, Geopolitical Perspectives|

Julie Smith quoted in Newsweek article, “Will China Be NATO’s Next Challenge? Alliance Eyes Beijing’s Rise While Mired In Infighting”

"Julianne Smith, a former national security adviser to Vice President Joe Biden, told Newsweek it is premature to talk about a post-Russia NATO. 'This is not an alliance looking for more to do,' she explained. 'It still has to focus on its core mission of enhanced deterrence in central and eastern Europe.' "... The alliance isn't united on China, Smith said, 'which is why it's important for NATO to start talking about the challenge. Portugal and Greece look at China much [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-01-16T21:47:23-05:00December 17, 2019|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Ely Ratner, Liz Rosenberg, and Paul Scharre write in Foreign Affairs: “Beyond the Trade War: A Competitive Approach to Countering China”

"The verdict is in on U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war with China. Regardless of whether U.S. negotiators soon reach a deal with Beijing, the administration’s initial gambit has run aground. After wreaking havoc on portions of the U.S. economy with his trade policies, the president is now angling to freeze or roll back tariffs on Chinese products in exchange for almost nothing. Deal or no deal in the coming days, it is clear that the United States needs a fundamentally [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2019-12-13T07:37:35-05:00December 12, 2019|Cybersecurity & Defense, Economy & Trade, Geopolitical Perspectives|

Dennis Ross writes in The Washington Post: “Why Soleimani’s killing is a gift to Vladimir Putin”

"The targeted killing of Qasem Soleimani is a potential game-changer in the Middle East. Vladimir Putin certainly sees it that way. Within days, he had rushed to Damascus, Syria — not to shore up Bashar al-Assad or tighten Moscow’s grip there but to show that Russia remains a central player and cannot be relegated to the sidelines. "His visit to Syria was one such indicator. His follow-on trip to Turkey was another. In Istanbul, he and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan — [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-01-16T21:52:45-05:00December 11, 2019|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Danny Russel quoted in Time article, “Aung San Suu Kyi Defends Myanmar Against Rohingya Genocide Allegations at The Hague”

"Nevertheless, many officials in Washington and other capitals remained sympathetic to Suu Kyi, who is forced to share power with unelected generals she cannot control. Isolating Suu Kyi’s government would 'make a difficult situation a lot worse,' Daniel Russel, a former top U.S. diplomat for East Asia, said in 2017..." Read the full article here: Full Article

Rebecca Skoryanc2019-12-13T07:43:21-05:00December 11, 2019|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Rachel Ellehuus quoted in The Hill article, “Trump Returns to Impeachment Fight After NATO Clash”

"Still, Trudeau’s remarks highlighted frustrations among foreign leaders over Trump’s unpredictability, said Rachel Ellehuus, a NATO and Europe expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “...'I think the comments in that conversation reflect a level of frustration among allies about the president’s unpredictability,' said Ellehuus. 'It’s a pattern. And I think it hurts our credibility and allies’ willingness to follow us...'" Read the full article here: Full Article

Rebecca Skoryanc2019-12-09T13:05:29-05:00December 4, 2019|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Dennis Ross quoted in The New York Times article, “Netanyahu and Pompeo Seek Heightened Pressure on Iran in Wake of Violent Protests”

"Dennis Ross, who helped negotiate earlier peace efforts between Israel and the Palestinians during the Clinton administration, said the United States already has robust military agreements with Israel. "He predicted the Pentagon would be reluctant to support a formal treaty now — in part because it could be seen as a political boost to Mr. Netanyahu in a relationship that the American military wants to keep strictly professional. "Having a formal defense treaty could also raise the appearance that the United [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2019-12-09T13:00:25-05:00December 4, 2019|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Julie Smith writes with Garima Mohan in The National Interest: “The Trump Administration’s Indo-Pacific Strategy Needs Proof of Life”

"No single word better describes today’s international system than 'competition.' China and Russia are competing with the United States for power, influence, and access to markets across multiple continents. With its Belt and Road investments and targeted diplomacy, China is creating new partnerships across Asia, Africa, and Europe. Russia has been busy establishing new strategic links across the Middle East with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Syria. Occasionally, when their strategic interests collide, China and Russia work together, as they did [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2019-12-09T12:59:05-05:00December 3, 2019|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Michèle Flournoy presides over Council on Foreign Relations and Institute for National Security Studies symposium: “The Future of U.S.-Israel Relations: The New Great Game in the Middle East”

"The symposium held on December 2, 2019 analyzed the consequences of U.S. retrenchment for the future of Israel and the Middle East. For more than four decades, the United States has played a large part in the Middle East regional order. However, it is now pulling back from the region in a manner that has generated uncertainty and insecurity for America’s allies and partners. The event convened experts to discuss whether Israel is in a particularly exposed position given its traditional [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2019-12-09T12:57:30-05:00December 2, 2019|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Ely Ratner quoted in The South China Morning Post article, “Hong Kong People Could Feel ‘Most of the Pain’ from U.S. Human Rights Act, American Experts Warn”

“‘I think it's a really hard policy problem for the United States in part because there needs to be some sort of rule here of "Do no harm,"’ Ely Ratner, deputy director of national security for former vice-president Joe Biden, said during a discussion hosted by the National Committee on US-China Relations in Washington on Monday. “‘There are parts of that bill that are important in terms of some of the reporting requirements, but this lever of the autonomy status of [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2019-12-02T07:53:30-05:00November 19, 2019|Geopolitical Perspectives|