Monday, January 11, 2021

Carnegie Endowment President to be Next CIA Director

Bill Burns, the President of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, has been selected by President-elect Joe Biden to be his Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) director.

Here is more from the New York Times:

President-elect Joseph R. Biden has selected William J. Burns, a career State Department official who led the U.S. delegation in secret talks with Iran, to run the Central Intelligence Agency.

In selecting Mr. Burns, Mr. Biden is turning to an experienced diplomat with whom he has a long relationship. The two men have worked together on various foreign policy issues, not just during the Obama administration, but also while Mr. Biden led the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Mr. Burns has also long worked with Jake Sullivan, Mr. Biden’s pick for national security adviser, and has been influential in helped foster the younger man’s career.

 

Assuming Burns is successfully confirmed by the US Senate, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a think tank which focuses on foreign policy, will need to choose a new leader. 

As Think Tank Watch has reported, several other think tanks have either announced new presidents in recent weeks or are currently searching for new presidents.