Newsman: President-elect Joe Biden picked veteran diplomat William Burns to serve as director of the Central Intelligence Agency. The transition committee said in a news release today, that President –elect will nominate a career diplomat William Burns for the next CIA Director. Burn served both the Republican and Democrat administration in his long diplomatic career.
President elect Biden said in a statement Burns “shares my profound belief that intelligence must be apolitical and that the dedicated intelligence professionals serving our nation deserve our gratitude and respect,”
“Ambassador Burns will bring the knowledge, judgment, and perspective we need to prevent and confront threats before they can reach our shores,” he continued.
The Biden transition team touted Burns as ‘well-prepared for the challenge’, noting “he has the experience and skill to marshal efforts across government and around the world to ensure the CIA is positioned to protect the American people.”
“A national security expert with decades of experience serving under Democratic and Republican presidents, Ambassador Bill Burns has a deep understanding of the global threats and challenges facing our country,” Vice President-elect Kamala Harris said in a statement.
“He will lead the CIA with independence and integrity, always honoring our nation’s intelligence professionals,” she assured.
William Burns left the U.S. Foreign Service in 2014 after 33 years of working in diplomacy under Democratic and Republican administrations. Burns served as the deputy secretary of state in the Obama administration, only the second career diplomat to serve in the position.
Burns was ambassador to Russia from 2005 to 2008, the assistant secretary of state for near eastern affairs from 2001-2005 and the ambassador to Jordan from 1998 to 2001.
Most recently, Burns was president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a Washington think tank with a focus on foreign policy and international affairs.
Biden selected Burns over a field of career intelligence officials, several of whom had come under scrutiny from some Democrats for their involvement in controversial espionage and torture programs in their careers.
