Michèle Flournoy quoted in The Economist article, “Why Joe Biden Is Ending America’s Combat Mission in Iraq”

“Mr Biden’s moves represent the start of a larger transformation in America’s posture. ‘There’s a working hypothesis…that we’re probably overinvested in the Middle East,’ says Michèle Flournoy, a former Pentagon official. ‘Despite discussions of prioritising the Asia-Pacific, we haven’t actually shifted all that much of our weight in that direction,’ she adds. The vast Al-Udeid air base in southern Qatar actually expanded in the Trump years. It is thought still to house more than 10,000 American troops, part of a presence [...]

2021-08-02T23:10:46-04:00July 31, 2021|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Michèle Flournoy featured in Hudson Institute event, “Transforming U.S. Defense”

"Representative Seth Moulton (D-MA), former Undersecretary for Defense Policy Michèle Flournoy, and Jay Dryer, the Defense Department’s Strategic Command Operations director, joined a virtual conversation on transforming U.S. defense capabilities. Discussed topics included competition with China, funding for future technologies, the importance of cyber software in winning wars of the future, and investment in innovation and research..." Watch the full event here: Full Event

2021-08-02T23:05:41-04:00July 23, 2021|Cybersecurity & Defense|

Michèle Flournoy interviewed in Modern War Institute podcast, “Back to the Future: Resetting Special Operations Forces for Great Power Competition”

"Special operations forces have been a favorite national security tool in the post-9/11 era; wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have consumed their attention and kept the special operations community focused on counterterrorism and counterinsurgency missions. However, the release of the 2017 National Security Strategy pivoted the United States’ strategic focus from terrorism to near-peer competitors China and Russia. What will be the role of special operations forces (SOF) in this era of great power competition? Where is SOF falling short in [...]

2021-08-02T22:19:40-04:00July 2, 2021|Cybersecurity & Defense|

Michèle Flournoy interviewed in Hopkins Podcast on Foreign Affairs, “Rebuilding America’s Military Edge”

"During the first decade of the 21st century, the U.S. defense department prioritized counterterrorism and counterinsurgency measures the Middle East and across the globe. A major shift in strategy began slowly but surely in 2012, driven partly by China’s more aggressive behavior and new military capabilities, including cyber and electronic weapons and precision missiles developed specifically to exploit US vulnerabilities. "Despite this shift in strategy, experts suggest that the Pentagon has not made the changes necessary to meet the threats posed [...]

2021-07-20T19:45:57-04:00June 4, 2021|Cybersecurity & Defense|

Michele Flournoy quoted in Vox article, “How China Could Force Biden’s Hand on Defending Taiwan”

"Procurement is not the only metric that counts, but perhaps this looming milestone explains recent warnings from civilian and military experts. Michèle Flournoy, former undersecretary of Defense, says that the U.S. military is at an 'inflection point' and 'risks losing … [its] edge within a decade…'" Read the full article here: Full Article

2021-07-20T19:36:26-04:00May 27, 2021|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Michèle Flournoy quoted in The New York Times article, “Pentagon Accelerates Withdrawal From Afghanistan”

"United States troops and their NATO allies intend to be out of Afghanistan by early to mid-July, well ahead of President Biden’s Sept. 11 withdrawal deadline, military officials said, in what has turned into an accelerated ending to America’s longest war… "'Withdrawing forces is actually a really delicate kind of operation that has risks associated with it,' said Michèle A. Flournoy, a former under secretary for defense under President Barack Obama. 'There’s a lot they have to work through before the [...]

2021-07-20T19:29:25-04:00May 25, 2021|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Michèle Flournoy interviewed in DefAero Report Daily podcast, “Flournoy on Keeping DoD’s Competitive Edge”

"On this episode of the DefAero Report Daily Podcast, sponsored by Bell, Michèle Flournoy, the former undersecretary of defense for policy who is the co-founder of the WestExec Advisors consultancy, discusses her article in the May/June 2021 issue of Foreign Affairs — 'America’s Military Risks Losing Its Edge: How to Transform the Pentagon for a Competitive Era' — with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian…" Listen to the full episode here: Full Episode

2021-07-20T19:03:41-04:00May 17, 2021|Cybersecurity & Defense|
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