CIA Chief William Burns Gets a Cabinet Seat, Biden Showers Praise on Spymaster
1 year, 5 months ago

CIA Chief William Burns Gets a Cabinet Seat, Biden Showers Praise on Spymaster

News 18  

President Joe Biden announced Friday that he has invited CIA Director William Burns to sit on the cabinet, a mostly symbolic elevation that recognized the US spymaster’s broader role in the administration. Biden praised Burns for providing him “clear, straightforward analysis that prioritizes the safety and security of the American people.” “Under his leadership, the CIA is delivering a clear-eyed, long-term approach to our nation’s top national security challenges — from tackling Russia’s brutal aggression against Ukraine, to managing responsible competition with the People’s Republic of China, to addressing the opportunities and risks of emerging technology,” Biden said. Biden’s action means Burns will serve on the cabinet side-by-side with his immediate senior, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, as well as all the department secretaries. Burns said in a statement that he was honored and that Biden’s invitation “recognizes the essential contributions to national security the Central Intelligence Agency makes every day.” Haines meanwhile said she was “absolutely delighted” at the move.

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History of this topic

Who is CIA Director Bill Burns: Biden yes-man, Putin apologist or peacemaker?
1 year, 3 months ago

Who is CIA Director Bill Burns: Biden yes-man, Putin apologist or peacemaker?

Salon  

Lost in a chaotic hall of mirrors of its own creation, the CIA has generally failed in its one and only legitimate task, to provide U.S. policymakers with accurate intelligence about the world beyond the Washington echo chamber, in order to inform American decision-making. In no uncertain terms, Burns conveyed the intense opposition he had heard from Foreign Minister Sergey …

Biden names CIA Director William Burns to his Cabinet
1 year, 5 months ago

Biden names CIA Director William Burns to his Cabinet

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden elevated CIA Director William Burns to his Cabinet on Friday, a symbolic move that underscores the intelligence chief’s influence and his work in U.S. support for Ukraine. In a statement, Biden said Burns had “harnessed intelligence to give our country a critical strategic advantage” and credited his “clear, straightforward analysis that prioritizes the safety and …

CIA chief made secret trip to China amid tensions: US official
1 year, 6 months ago

CIA chief made secret trip to China amid tensions: US official

Al Jazeera  

CIA Director William Burns emphasised the importance of keeping communication open between China and US. In a bid to improve communication between Beijing and Washington, the director of the CIA, William Burns, visited China last month for talks with Chinese counterparts, a United States official said. Also on Friday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin shook hands with China’s Minister of …

CIA Director William Burns met Chinese leaders in Beijing as Washington tries to thaw tensions
1 year, 6 months ago

CIA Director William Burns met Chinese leaders in Beijing as Washington tries to thaw tensions

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — CIA Director William Burns went to Beijing in May to meet with Chinese counterparts, a U.S. official said Friday, in what is the highest level visit by a Biden administration official since a suspected Chinese spy balloon was shot down by American forces. Burns’ visit, first reported by The Financial Times, comes as Washington tries to cool tensions …

CIA director warns Russian spy chief against deploying nukes
2 years, 1 month ago

CIA director warns Russian spy chief against deploying nukes

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — CIA Director Bill Burns met on Monday with his Russian intelligence counterpart to warn of consequences if Russia were to deploy a nuclear weapon in Ukraine, according to a White House National Security Council official. Biden added they “reaffirmed our shared belief in the threat for the use of nuclear weapons is totally unacceptable.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov …

CIA chief William Burns meets Russian spy boss Sergey Naryshkin
2 years, 1 month ago

CIA chief William Burns meets Russian spy boss Sergey Naryshkin

Al Jazeera  

White House official says the two spy agency chiefs in Ankara did not discuss any negotiations over the war in Ukraine but talked about the consequences of nuclear weapons. It was the initiative of the American side.” A White House official said the discussions between Burns and Naryshkin on Monday were about the consequences of using nuclear weapons. “We firmly …

Bill Burns: CIA director met with Russian security council chief in Moscow
3 years, 1 month ago

Bill Burns: CIA director met with Russian security council chief in Moscow

CNN  

CNN — CIA Director Bill Burns is leading a delegation of senior US officials in Moscow for a two-day series of meetings with Russian officials, a US embassy spokesperson said on Tuesday. A terse statement from Russia’s powerful Security Council said that the two sides discussed “Russian-American relations.” The meeting was not previously announced and the CIA, which as a …

Transcript: NPR's Full Conversation With CIA Director William Burns
3 years, 5 months ago

Transcript: NPR's Full Conversation With CIA Director William Burns

NPR  

Transcript: NPR's Full Conversation With CIA Director William Burns Enlarge this image toggle caption Ian Morton/NPR Ian Morton/NPR William Burns gives his first sit-down interview since assuming the role of Central Intelligence Agency director in March. I stress that that doesn't mean we can neglect continuing challenges like terrorism or climate change, but the four priorities I laid out — …

Burns confirmed as CIA director as US faces diverse threats
3 years, 9 months ago

Burns confirmed as CIA director as US faces diverse threats

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Without opposition, the Senate confirmed veteran diplomat William Burns as CIA director on Thursday, giving him control of the nation’s premier spy agency as the U.S. government confronts threats from China, Russia, Iran and elsewhere. At that hearing, he described China as posing the “biggest geopolitical test” to the United States and said that Russia, though a declining …

Biden’s CIA nominee vows to keep politics out of the job, provide ‘unvarnished’ intelligence
3 years, 10 months ago

Biden’s CIA nominee vows to keep politics out of the job, provide ‘unvarnished’ intelligence

LA Times  

President Biden’s nominee to run the CIA told lawmakers Wednesday that he would keep politics out of the job and deliver “unvarnished” intelligence to politicians and policymakers even if they didn’t want to hear it. Burns said the first thing Biden told him when he asked Burns to take the post was that he wanted the agency to “give it …

Nicholas Burns: Former top State Department official is Biden’s leading contender to be US ambassador to China
3 years, 10 months ago

Nicholas Burns: Former top State Department official is Biden’s leading contender to be US ambassador to China

CNN  

Washington CNN — Nicholas Burns, a former US ambassador and senior State Department official, is the leading contender for US ambassador to China, according to two sources familiar with the discussions. The administration is reviewing its posture toward Beijing, but officials like Secretary of State Antony Blinken have said they want to engage “from a position of strength.” Diplomats and …

US Senate takes up Biden’s top cabinet selections
3 years, 11 months ago

US Senate takes up Biden’s top cabinet selections

Al Jazeera  

New era opens in Washington as spotlight falls on Biden’s nominees for governing roles at State Department and Pentagon. US President-elect’s Joe Biden’s nominees for secretary of state and secretary of defence are appearing on Capitol Hill on Tuesday as the Senate begins the process of confirming his cabinet selections. On the eve of Biden’s inauguration on Wednesday, longtime aide …

Joe Biden’s Administraton: 11 People You Must Know and How it Could Influence His India Policy
3 years, 11 months ago

Joe Biden’s Administraton: 11 People You Must Know and How it Could Influence His India Policy

News 18  

President-elect Joe Biden, over the last few weeks, nominated a long list of members for his cabinet and White House team. It’s usually important to the future of the Indo-Pacific and the kind of order that we all want; it’s fair, stable, and hopefully increasingly democratic and it’s vital to being able to tackle some of these big global challenges.” …

William Burns: Biden chooses veteran diplomat as CIA director
3 years, 11 months ago

William Burns: Biden chooses veteran diplomat as CIA director

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up …

Joe Biden Nominates Longtime US Diplomat William Burns To Lead CIA
3 years, 11 months ago

Joe Biden Nominates Longtime US Diplomat William Burns To Lead CIA

News 18  

U.S. President-elect Joe Biden will nominate former career diplomat and former deputy secretary of state William Burns to lead the CIA, his transition team said on Monday. Burns served 33 years as a U.S. diplomat, including as U.S. ambassador to Russia and as lead negotiator in the secret talks that paved the way to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, under …

Biden chooses veteran diplomat Burns as CIA director
3 years, 11 months ago

Biden chooses veteran diplomat Burns as CIA director

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — William Burns, a well-known figure in diplomatic circles around the world, is President-elect Joe Biden’s choice to lead the CIA, a selection likely to be embraced by the rank and file at the nation’s premier spy agency. He also said he would deliver the intelligence to Biden and policymakers “without a hint of partisanship.” Burns is perhaps an …

Biden to nominate William Burns as CIA director, turning to a longtime diplomat to lead agency in post-Trump era
3 years, 11 months ago

Biden to nominate William Burns as CIA director, turning to a longtime diplomat to lead agency in post-Trump era

CNN  

CNN — President-elect Joe Biden on Monday will nominate William Burns as director of the Central Intelligence Agency, CNN has learned, tapping a respected veteran American diplomat who has served in posts around the world from the Reagan to the Obama administrations. “He shares my profound belief that intelligence must be apolitical and that the dedicated intelligence professionals serving our …

Biden chooses veteran diplomat William Burns as his CIA director
3 years, 11 months ago

Biden chooses veteran diplomat William Burns as his CIA director

LA Times  

William Burns, chosen by Biden to head the CIA, built a 33-year career at the State Department under both Republican and Democratic presidents. William J. Burns, a highly regarded diplomat with vast foreign policy experience and service in both Democratic and Republican administrations, was chosen Monday as President-elect Joe Biden’s director of the CIA. In a video released by the …

Biden names veteran diplomat Burns as CIA director
3 years, 11 months ago

Biden names veteran diplomat Burns as CIA director

Al Jazeera  

A former ambassador to Russia and Jordan, Burns, 64, rose to become deputy secretary of state before retiring in 2014. President-elect Joe Biden has chosen veteran diplomat William Burns to be the director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Amid tumult in the State Department after Donald Trump took office in 2017 Burns held his tongue until last year when he …

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