US President-elect Joe Biden has chosen William Burns, who served for three decades as a diplomat, to be his CIA director.
Mr Burns led the Obama administration's negotiations with Iran to reach a landmark nuclear deal in 2015. Before that he served as ambassador to Russia.
He is currently the president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, an international think-tank.
William Burns: Biden nominates veteran diplomat as CIA director https://t.co/wm64URVPVB
— BBC North America (@BBCNorthAmerica) January 11, 2021
If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the first career diplomat in the post.
The president-elect, who takes office on 20 January, has asked Congress to confirm his national security team as close to his inauguration as possible.
Mr Burns retired from the US Foreign Service in 2014 after a 33-year career at the state department, serving under both Republican and Democratic presidents. He holds the highest rank in the Foreign Service, career ambassador.
In a statement, Mr Biden said: "[Mr Burns] shares my profound belief that intelligence must be apolitical and that the dedicated intelligence professionals serving our nation deserve our gratitude and respect."
Mr Burns served as deputy secretary of state under former President Barack Obama, ambassador to Russia and Jordan, and assistant secretary of state for near eastern affairs.
Recently, he has written articles critical of the Trump administration's policies and, last August, warned about the risks of President Donald Trump not accepting an election defeat.
"If he loses, I doubt that he will suddenly embrace the traditional bipartisan commitment to effective transitions. At best, he'll be consumed by efforts to rationalise his defeat and paint the election as rigged; at worst, he'll seek to contest or undermine the result," he wrote in the Atlantic.
Latest Stories
-
‘I did not bribe anybody, my action was misconstrued’ – MP involved in Ejisu ‘envelope incident
36 seconds -
Respect is earned, not commanded – Raymond Atuguba tells public officials
19 mins -
TikTok and Universal settle music royalties dispute
33 mins -
Failure to properly transfer gun ownership can land you behind bars
41 mins -
Reduce over-reliance on imports to stabilise cedi – TUC boss tells Ghanaians
57 mins -
‘We’re taking it game by game’ – Ibrahim Tanko on Accra Lions’ title ambitions
1 hour -
Nigerians pick sides as Wizkid and Davido clash online
1 hour -
Nigeria Workers’ Day: Civil servants get pay rises up to 35%
1 hour -
“I am the Austrian team boss with all my heart,” Rangnick turns down Bayern
2 hours -
Failed asylum seeker given £3,000 to go to Rwanda
2 hours -
Nigerian gasoline prices soar as shortages worsen cost of living crisis
2 hours -
Paris 2024: We will win medal at Olympics if government invests more – GPC President
2 hours -
Akufo-Addo calls for protection of Ghana’s democratic reputation and identity
2 hours -
Apple working to fix alarming iPhone issue
2 hours -
‘You won’t win GPL title without your own stadium’ – Bashir Hayford tells Kotoko, Hearts
2 hours