Michèle Flournoy writes in Foreign Affairs: “America’s Military Risks Losing Its Edge”

"For almost a decade, U.S. defense officials have deemed the return of great-power competition to be the most consequential challenge to U.S. national security. In 2012, during the Obama administration, the Defense Department announced that 'U.S. forces will no longer be sized to conduct large-scale, prolonged stability operations,' such as those in Afghanistan and Iraq, marking a sharp departure from the United States’ post-9/11 defense strategy. In 2016, Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter highlighted a 'return to great-power of competition.' And [...]

2021-05-01T00:00:57-04:00May 1, 2021|Cybersecurity & Defense|

Michèle Flournoy quoted in The Sydney Morning Herald article, “‘Very Courageous’: Former Obama Official Backs Australia’s Hardline Stance Against China”

"A senior defence official under former United States president Barack Obama says the Five Eyes spy network should be used as a diplomatic grouping to pressure China, in a direct contrast to New Zealand’s attempt to narrow its remit… "Asked about New Zealand’s position, Ms Flournoy, who was under secretary of defense for policy between 2009 and 2012, said, 'New Zealand is an example of a smaller country that is under a lot of pressure and probably feels significant risk with [...]

2021-04-26T10:11:39-04:00April 26, 2021|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Michèle Flournoy interviewed in Rusi’s The Western Way of War podcast, “The Enemy Went to School”

"Former US Under Secretary for Defence for Policy Michèle Flournoy talks to Peter Roberts about technology, concepts, young minds and competitive spaces in warfare. The conversation is predicated on the idea of obeying the just war principles until deterrence fails. Thereafter, we (the West) want a distinctly unfair fight…" Listen to the full episode here: Full Episode

2021-04-22T00:00:30-04:00April 22, 2021|Cybersecurity & Defense|

Michèle Flournoy interviewed in The Director’s Chair podcast, “Michèle Flournoy on Her Life and Career, China’s Rise and America’s Resilience”

"In this episode of The Director’s Chair, Michael Fullilove speaks with the distinguished policymaker and policy entrepreneur Michèle Flournoy. Michèle is a former senior Pentagon official, managing partner of WestExec Advisors, and chair of the Center for a New American Security…” Listen to the full episode here: Full Episode

2021-04-22T00:00:11-04:00April 22, 2021|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Michèle Flournoy quoted in The Wall Street Journal article, “Biden Rebuffed Commanders’ Advice in Decision to Leave Afghanistan”

"'I totally understand and support the notion that U.S. involvement in this war has to end at some point,' said Michèle Flournoy, who served as a senior Defense official under Mr. Obama and was a candidate to serve as defense secretary for Mr. Biden. 'But we are in a position where our forces are like the boy with the finger in the dyke, and when we remove that finger I think that the flood is going to come…'" Read the full [...]

2021-04-17T17:56:40-04:00April 17, 2021|Cybersecurity & Defense|

Michèle Flournoy interviewed on The Financial Times podcast, “Are the US and China Entering a Cold War?”

"The US president has promised that, after four years of retreat from the global stage, 'America is back'. Over the past few years, China has continued to expand its economic and political influence and matched its growing clout on the world stage with a bigger military that is flexing its might in the Pacific. In this episode Demetri Sevastopulo, the FT’s US-China correspondent, talks to Michèle Flournoy of the Center for a New American Security, a bipartisan think-tank in Washington, about [...]

2021-04-08T00:00:05-04:00April 8, 2021|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Michèle Flournoy interviewed on ChinaTalk podcast, “Michèle Flournoy on The US-China Strategic Calculus”

"Michèle Flournoy recently joined [host Jordan Schneider] on an episode of the ChinaTalk podcast. Eric Lofgren of the fantastic Acquisition Talk blog and podcast cohosted. "Jordan: How would you apply a social-psychological approach to US-China relations? "Michèle: That's a great question. We have a lot of work to do to understand how Chinese leaders think: what their strategic calculus is, what they value, what costs they fear, the fundamentals that would actually deter their problematic action…" Read the full article here: [...]

2021-04-01T00:00:24-04:00April 1, 2021|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Michèle Flournoy quoted in Politico article, “Electric Vehicles and Biofuel: Pentagon Poised to Go Greener Under Biden”

"Michèle Flournoy, who served as Obama’s Pentagon policy chief, agreed that the department has a significant role to play in reducing America’s carbon footprint. In particular, the Pentagon could use its vast budget for research and development to accelerate the development of new technologies to fight climate change. "'If you were to make [DoD] a platform for demonstrating and scaling the adoption of green technology, that could create a meaningful level of demand in the market to help grow green technology [...]

2021-03-31T20:30:48-04:00March 31, 2021|Climate & Environment|

Michèle Flournoy interviewed in The Future of Defense, “Michèle Flournoy on China, NATO, and Strategic Defense Spending”

"Hon. Michèle Flournoy (former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy; Co-Founder & Managing Partner, WestExec Advisors) interviewed by The Hill's Steve Clemons on competing and cooperating with China, cybersecurity threats and disinformation campaigns as areas for NATO improvement, and adjusting Pentagon's defense spending to address evolving technological concerns…" Watch the full interview here: Full Article

2021-03-30T00:00:08-04:00March 30, 2021|Cybersecurity & Defense|
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