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Bilal Hussein/The Associated Press
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.
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 become deputy secretary of state before retiring in 2014 to run the Carnegie Endowment of International Peace.
Jan 11, 2021
In this 2014 file photo, then-U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns is shown in New Delhi, India. President-elect Joe Biden has chosen veteran diplomat Burns to be his CIA director. A former ambassador to Russia and Jordan, Burns rose through the ranks of the State Department to become deputy secretary before retiring to run the Carnegie Endowment of International Peace in 2014. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)
WASHINGTON (AP) President-elect Joe Biden announced this morning 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 become deputy secretary of state before retiring in 2014 to run the Carnegie Endowment of International Peace.