Burns confirmed as CIA director with unanimous bipartisan support

Confirmation came after statement on Nord Stream 2 that prompted Ted Cruz to lift the hold

William Burns, seen  at his Senate Intelligence Committee hearing for Central Intelligence Agency director in Washington. Reuters

Prominent US diplomat William Burns was confirmed on Thursday as director of the Central Intelligence Agency under President Joe Biden, the last national security Cabinet position confirmation for the new administration.

The Senate confirmed Mr Burns, 64, by a swift voice vote and with no objection from any senator from either party.

The support for Mr Burns, who served under Republican and Democratic administrations, is more than any other Biden nominee has received thus far. He also passed the Senate intelligence committee with unanimous support.

But the actual confirmation was delayed by two and a half weeks because of a hold by Ted Cruz, a Republican, who was seeking assurances from the Biden team that it would impose tough sanctions on Russia's Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline project.

On Thursday, at 1.03pm local time in Washington, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a statement committing to Nord Stream sanctions if the project is found liable.

The $11 billion pipeline project to transport gas under the Baltic Sea to Europe via Germany involves Russian energy company Gazprom, making it subject to Congressional sanctions.

“Nord Stream 2 is a bad deal – for Germany, for Ukraine and for our Central and Eastern European allies and partners,” Mr Blinken said. “The sanctions legislation Congress passed in 2019 and expanded in 2020 has significant support from a bipartisan Congressional majority ... the Biden administration is committed to complying with that legislation.”

An hour after Mr Blinken’s statement, Mr Cruz announced that he was lifting the hold on Mr Burns’ confirmation.

Nearly an hour later, Mr Burns was confirmed in the Senate.

The new agency director is known for his pragmatic approach to foreign policymaking. In his hearing last month, he prioritised countering China, Russia, North Korea and Iran.

Mr Burns said there should not be any scenario in which Iran possesses a nuclear weapon and spoke on the challenges posed by its destabilising behaviour.

He advocated “firmness and consistency” in responding to Moscow’s cyber threat and called the SolarWinds cyber attack, which the US accuses Russia of carrying out, a “very harsh wake-up call".

A US intelligence report this week accused Russia and Iran of attempting to interfere in the 2020 US presidential elections.

Mr Burns also focused on the China challenge, calling Beijing “a formidable, authoritarian adversary – methodically strengthening its capabilities to steal intellectual property, repress its own people, bully its neighbours, expand its global reach and build influence in American society”.

The new agency head served under successive US Republican and Democratic presidents, from Ronald Reagan to Barack Obama. He speaks Arabic, Russian and French.

He brings in vast knowledge of the Middle East, having served as an ambassador in the region, being intimately involved with the Iran negotiations since 2006, and serving as former assistant secretary of state for Near East affairs.

Among key positions that Mr Burns has held at the State Department include deputy secretary of state (2011-2014), undersecretary of political affairs (2008-2011), ambassador to Russia (2005-2008), ambassador to Jordan (1998 to 2001) and assistant secretary for Near East affairs (2001-2005).