WASHINGTON — US President Joe Biden, announced this Friday that he invited the director of the INC, William Burns, to fill a post in his cabinet, a primarily symbolic appointment that recognizes the role of the official in government.
Biden praised Burns for providing him with “clear and to the point analysis that puts the safety of the American people first.”
“Under his leadership, the CIA is providing a clear, long-term approach to our country’s major national security challenges, from dealing with 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 technologies,” the president said.
Biden’s decision means Burns will sit in the cabinet alongside his immediate superior, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, as well as all the heads of government departments.
Before the figure of director of National Intelligence was created in 2005, the heads of the CIA were part of the presidential cabinets.
A career diplomat and former ambassador to Russia, Burns, 67, took the helm of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in 2021.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, he has taken a leading role in maintaining the deeply deteriorating relationship between Washington and Moscow.
In a statement, Burns said he was honored and that Biden’s invitation “recognizes the essential contributions to national security that the Central Intelligence Agency makes every day.”
Haines, for her part, said she was “absolutely delighted” with the decision.
FOUNTAIN: With information from AP
