Geopolitical Perspectives - WestExec Advisors

Dennis Ross quoted in The Washington Post article, “Trump Administration Says Israel’s West Bank Settlements Do Not Violate International Law”

“‘I’m mystified by the timing,' said Dennis Ross, who played a lead role in shaping Middle East policy under several administrations from Reagan to Obama. ‘If you were still interested in presenting the Trump peace plan, you wouldn’t want to do something that puts key Arab leaders... in a position where they would be much more moved to oppose it...'” Read the full article here: Full Article

Rebecca Skoryanc2019-12-02T08:04:19-05:00November 18, 2019|Cybersecurity & Defense, Geopolitical Perspectives|

Michael Camilleri quoted in Fox News article, “Bolivia Change of Power Polarizes Western Hemisphere Along ‘Tired, Ideological Lines'”

“‘President Morales, his vice president, and the leaders of the House and Senate all resigned. This created a vacuum of power, as the constitutional line of succession does not contemplate a case in which these four positions are vacant,’ Michael Camilleri, director of the Rule of Law Program at the Inter-American Dialogue, told Fox News. "...‘Morales’ removal from power has polarized the hemisphere along tired, ideological lines,’ Camilleri said. “‘The United States and some governments in Latin America recognize Añez as [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2019-12-02T08:06:58-05:00November 16, 2019|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Mike Singh writes in Foreign Affairs: “A Better Iran Deal Is Within Reach”

"When the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump ratcheted up its 'maximum pressure' campaign last May, with the professed aim of driving Iran’s oil exports to zero, it didn’t take long for Tehran to respond with escalation of its own. In the months since, Iran has reportedly attacked pipelines, tankers, and one of the world’s largest oil processing facilities in Saudi Arabia—prompting a spike not just in oil prices but also in worries about a new war in the Middle East. [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2019-12-02T07:55:54-05:00November 15, 2019|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Michael Camilleri spoke with France 24, “Evo Morales Steps Down: ‘The People of Bolivia Took to the Streets to Defend Their Democracy, But the Military Gave Morales the Final Push'”

“I think it is too early to call it a coup. Evo Morales clearly created this predicament for himself by violating the constitution and then orchestrating what appears to be a fraudulent election. The people of Bolivia reacted to that. They took to the streets for weeks to try to defend their democracy, but at the end of the day it was the military that gave Morales the final push. We are still waiting for all the facts to come out [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2019-11-15T14:06:44-05:00November 13, 2019|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Dan Shapiro quoted in The Jerusalem Post article, “Military Assistance to Israel Also Serves U.S. Interests”

"'There is an enormous amount of sharing of intelligence,' said the former ambassador. 'Israeli intelligence has high-quality technology; Israeli technology is high quality; joint training – our forces training with Israel and learning from them as they learned from us. Benefits and this relationship flow both ways. And so, in that regard, the US assistance program to Israel is not an act of altruism. While it is certainly generous on the part of the American taxpayers, and we should feel good [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2019-11-15T14:14:19-05:00November 10, 2019|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Dan Shapiro quoted in The Times of Israel article, “Iran Shaves Weeks Off Breakout Time, But Isn’t Tearing Up Nuclear Pact Yet”

“‘It doesn’t significantly affect the breakout timeline, but Fordo has always been one of the most sensitive aspects of the nuclear program because of its hardened, underground nature and the difficulty of destroying it,' said Dan Shapiro, a former US ambassador to Israel and current fellow at Tel Aviv University’s Institute for National Security Studies think tank. “‘The danger is that this is one important, symbolic step that will be followed by more,' Shapiro told The Times of Israel on Tuesday [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2019-11-08T15:38:58-05:00November 6, 2019|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Dan Shapiro quoted in The Hill article, “Progressives Press Democrats to Rethink Israel Policy”

"Daniel Shapiro, former U.S. ambassador to Israel and visiting fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, said American military support largely deals with longer range threats from Lebanon, Syria, Iran and, in part, the Gaza Strip, with little impact or influence on Israeli policies and actions in the West Bank. “‘If, tomorrow, we said none of our funds could be used to support annexation, we could still provide the same amount,' he wrote in an email to [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2019-11-08T15:37:12-05:00November 5, 2019|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Michèle Flournoy on Freakonomics podcast, “Speak Softly and Carry Big Data”

"Do economic sanctions work? Are big democracies any good at spreading democracy? What is the root cause of terrorism? It turns out that data analysis can help answer all these questions — and make better foreign-policy decisions. Guests include former Department of Defense officials Chuck Hagel and Michèle Flournoy and Chicago Project on Security and Threats researchers Robert Pape and Paul Poast. Recorded live in Chicago; Steve Levitt is co-host..." Listen to the full podcast here: Full Podcast

Rebecca Skoryanc2019-11-08T15:11:16-05:00October 30, 2019|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Dan Shapiro quoted in PBS News Hour article, “Why the U.S. Decision in Syria Has Left Some Allies Anxious”

"After the U.S. left the Kurds behind in Syria, some in Israel, arguably one of America’s closest allies, are wondering if they can depend on American protection, said Dan Shapiro, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel. “‘Members [within Israel] of the U.S. camp have less to fall back on now,' said Shapiro. 'They carry more of the burden against the dangerous actors in the region.' "... After U.S. troops began pulling out of northeast Syria last week, Israeli media was 'rife with [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2019-11-08T15:18:56-05:00October 25, 2019|Cybersecurity & Defense, Geopolitical Perspectives|

Lisa Monaco moderates NYU Reiss Center on Law and Security panel, “Role of Congress in National Security”

"Congressional representatives who previously served in the executive branch discussed the role of Congress in national security and foreign affairs. Representatives Will Hurd (R-TX), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), and Andy Kim (D-NJ) all served in the national security sector before being elected to the House and talked about the transition from working in the executive branch to the legislative branch. The lawmakers also discussed the U.S. foreign policy leadership in the world, the whistleblower complaint against President Trump, and President Trump’s decision [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2019-11-08T15:23:54-05:00October 21, 2019|Geopolitical Perspectives|