William Burns, the candidate of US President Joe Biden, for the position of Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, told the Senate Intelligence Committee, Wednesday, that "the Biden administration´s strategy to deal with Iran" will prevent it from developing a weapon Nuclear and pressures to confront its activities.
Burns explained that dealing with the threats posed by Iran requires a "comprehensive strategy," noting that Iranian behavior poses challenges regarding limiting nuclear proliferation and ballistic missiles, considering that the challenges that Iran poses are "very important and we cannot ignore them."
The 64-year-old veteran American diplomat considered competition with China and confronting its "aggressive and predatory" leadership, a key to the national security of the United States.
Burns, who worked in both Democratic and Republican administrations, and who during his career helped lead secret negotiations with Iran and served as the US ambassador to Russia, is expected to have the confidence of the US Senate to confirm his assumption of this high and pivotal position in the Biden administration. This was evidenced by the warm reception he received from the Democratic and Republican senators on the committee.
The non-controversial hearing focused particularly on the threats posed by China and Russia, and gave Burns the opportunity to review his three decades of foreign policy experience, during which he worked closely with the intelligence agency. No Senator even hinted against Burns´ nomination; At times, members were more interested in his views on what US policy toward foreign adversaries should be than with how he would organize the CIA to meet those challenges.
Burns noted that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) does not make the policies, rather it supports those who do.
Burns, who served as Barack Obama´s deputy secretary of state, brings with him a rare mix of policy-making experience and deep intelligence knowledge to the position of Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
Congressional officials said: "The full vote in the Senate on his candidacy may take place next week."
Burns will take command of the agency in a transitional moment, with the agency returning to focus on spying on foreign countries after nearly two decades of focusing on counterterrorism operations, which some current and former officials say has drained many resources and diverted the intelligence agency´s attention from the traditional espionage mission. .
In his opening remarks, Burns said: “The landscape today is increasingly complex and competitive. It is a world in which familiar threats - from terrorism and nuclear weapons proliferation to aggressive Russia, provocative North Korea, and hostile Iran - still exist, but it is also a world full of new challenges, where climate change causes Global health insecurity is taking a heavy toll on the American people, as cyber threats pose an increasing threat to our society, and where the hostile Chinese leadership constitutes the biggest geopolitical test for us. "
Burns has paid particular attention to China, stressing that "if confirmed my appointment, four critical and interconnected priorities will shape my leadership approach to the CIA: China, technology, personnel, and partnerships."
Burns will command a workforce that has been battered during four years of intense political conflict, as President Donald Trump accused veteran intelligence officers and their superiors of plotting against him and trying to undermine his administration.
