William Burns

9 Stories

New Broker in Israel-Hamas Deal: CIA Chief

Biden is reportedly sending William Burns to Europe for talks

(Newser) - The US is taking a more direct role in trying to forge a deal between Israel and Hamas: President Biden is sending CIA chief William Burns overseas to participate in talks, reports the Washington Post . Burns is expected to leave for Europe in the next few days to meet with...

CIA Director's Entourage Hit by Havana Syndrome

Officer traveling with Williams J. Burns in India received medical attention back home

(Newser) - A CIA officer traveling in India with CIA Director Williams J. Burns reported symptoms consistent with Havana syndrome this month. It's unclear whether the officer was targeted because he was traveling with Burns, who's made it a top priority to investigate what the US government terms anomalous health...

CIA Chief Had Hush-Hush Meeting With Taliban Leader: Sources

Washington Post: William Burns sat down with Abdul Ghani Baradar in Kabul on Monday

(Newser) - Last week, William Burns had a full calendar in the Middle East, meeting with various officials from Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Lebanon, and Egypt, per Axios . This week, a more under-wraps gathering went down, this time in Kabul between the CIA chief and Abdul Ghani Baradar, the de facto leader...

Confirmation Completes National Security Team

William Burns, a longtime diplomat, clears Senate on a voice vote

(Newser) - The Senate approved William Burns as the next CIA director on Thursday, the final nominee for President Biden's national security team. Burns spent more than three decades as a diplomat and served as deputy secretary of state under President Obama. He'll be the first head of the CIA...

Biden Goes With William Burns to Head Up CIA

'The American people will sleep soundly'

(Newser) - President-elect Joe Biden announced Monday he has chosen veteran diplomat William Burns to be his CIA director. A former ambassador to Russia and Jordan, Burns, 64, had a 33-year career at the State Department under both Republican and Democratic presidents. He rose through the ranks of the diplomatic corps to...

Secret US-Iran Talks Paved Way for Nuke Deal

Oman helped broker meetings after hikers' release

(Newser) - The landmark nuclear deal with Iran isn't as sudden a breakthrough as it might seem. Before the Geneva talks, a team of American diplomats hand-picked by President Obama held at least five secret meetings with their Iranian counterparts starting in March, the AP finds. The American delegations were led...

Clinton Aide on Benghazi: 'We Have to Do Better'

State Department officials testify before Senate, House panels

(Newser) - Two of Hillary Clinton's top deputies went before a Senate panel today to take their lumps over the department's security shortcomings in the Benghazi attack, reports Politico . Two quotes sum up their main message:
  • "We learned some very hard and painful lessons in Benghazi," said William
...

Ahmadinejad Upbeat Despite Sanction Threats

Deadlocked nuke talks a 'step forward,' insists Iranian prez

(Newser) - After nuclear talks in Geneva ended in a deadlock yesterday, major powers gave Iran a two-week deadline to halt uranium enrichment or face tougher EU and UN sanctions, Reuters reports. But Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad today presented an upbeat analysis of the discussions. "Any negotiation that takes place is...

Top US Diplomat on Iran Resigns
Top US Diplomat on Iran Resigns
Jan 18, 2008 3:05 PM CST

Top US Diplomat on Iran Resigns

Ambassador to Russia succeeds Burns, who will keep a hand in India nuke talks

(Newser) - The Bush administration’s leading diplomat on Iran, a top adviser to Condoleezza Rice, is resigning, the Washington Post reports. Under secretary of state for political affairs Nicholas Burns will leave in March but retain a limited role as a special envoy for negotiations on nuclear matters with India. William...

9 Stories