Washington: The Senate on Thursday unanimously confirmed the name of senior diplomat William Burns as CIA director and handed him control of the nation’s premier spy agency. This decision has been taken at a time when the US faces a variety of international threats from China, Russia, Iran, and other countries.
Earlier, Republican Senator Ted Cruz (Texas) prohibited the nomination of Burns, and it was decided by voice vote as soon as his ban was lifted. Burns, a US ambassador to Russia and Jordan, has served in the State Department for more than 30 years under both Democratic and Republican presidents. He expressed the resolution during a confirmation hearing of his name in the Senate last month that he would give intelligence directly to the White House without a hitch.
