WILLIAM BURNS

U_S_ officials say the CIA believes it's unlikely that Russia or another foreign adversary is using microwaves or other forms of directed energy to attack hundreds of American diplomats and intelligence officers who attribute their brain injuries and other symptoms to what's come to be known as “Havana syndrome.”.

Two dozen cases remain "unresolved" and will be the focus of "active and intense investigation," a senior CIA official said.

President Joe Biden says he thinks Russia will invade Ukraine and is warning President Vladimir Putin that his country would pay a “dear price” in lives lost and a possible cutoff from the global banking system if it does.

The buildup of Russian troops near Ukraine has left U.S. officials perplexed.

The Biden administration is stepping up pressure on Russia over a buildup of troops along its frontier with Ukraine.

Virus Oubreak Intelligence Vaccines FILE - Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, left, next to CIA Director William Burns, testifies at a House Intelligence committee hearing on diversity and equity in the intelligence community on Oct. 27, 2021, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Thousands of intelligence officers could soon face dismissal for failing to comply with the U.S. government's vaccine mandate, leading to concerns from Republican lawmakers about potentially hurting agencies considered critical to national security. Haines says she doesn't anticipate the mandate affecting the mission of national security agencies. Citing information that he said had been provided to the House Intelligence Committee but not released publicly, Stewart said several intelligence agencies had at least 20% of their workforce unvaccinated as of late October. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined several requests to provide figures for the intelligence community.

Havana Syndrome FILE - Secretary of State Antony Blinken participates in a Blue Dot Network Discussion at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's Ministerial Council Meeting, Oct. 5, 2021, in Paris. Secretary of State Antony Blinken appointed a high-ranking deputy, Jonathan Moore, to coordinate the department’s task force on the cases. Blinken also appointed retired ambassador Margaret Uyehara to lead efforts to directly support care for State Department employees. The cases are known as “Havana Syndrome” dating to a series of reported brain injuries in 2016 at the U.S. Embassy in Cuba. The State Department said Friday that Deputy Secretary Brian McKeon had met with diplomats in Vienna to discuss possible cases reported this year in Austria.

The State Department has named a new coordinator for its investigation into cases of so-called Havana Syndrome.

Thousands of intelligence officers could soon face dismissal for failing to comply with the U.S. government's vaccine mandate, leading to concerns from Republican lawmakers about potentially hurting agencies considered critical to national security. Haines says she doesn't anticipate the mandate affecting the mission of national security agencies. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined several requests to provide figures for the intelligence community. “My question is what’s the impact on national security if we do that?” Stewart said. House Intelligence Committee Democrats say they’re confident that the vaccination mandate will not cause a problem for the intelligence community.

Thousands of intelligence officers could soon face dismissal for failing to comply with the U.S. government’s vaccine mandate, leading to concerns from Republican lawmakers about potentially hurting agencies considered critical to national security.

William Burns met with the official at President Biden's request.

MOSCOW — (AP) — A top Russian security official met the visiting chief of the Central Intelligence Agency on Tuesday, a rare encounter amid tensions between Moscow and Washington. Nikolai Patrushev, the powerful secretary of the Kremlin's Security Council, met CIA Director William Burns in Moscow to discuss U.S.-Russian relations, Patrushev's office said in a statement without providing any details. U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a June summit in Geneva in an attempt to make relations between their nations more stable and predictable. Speaking last month, Putin described relations with Washington as “quite constructive” and said he personally has developed “working, stable relations” with Biden. The Russian leader voiced hope that mutual interests would eventually help normalize U.S.-Russia ties.

For nine months under President Joe Biden, the U.S. has pursued a diplomatic strategy that could be characterized as about China, without China.

The CIA says it will create a top-level working group on China as part of a broad U.S. government effort focused on countering Beijing’s influence.

In announcing the changes, the CIA director referred to "increasingly adversarial Chinese government" as the "most important geopolitical threat we face in the 21st century."

Frank Figliuzzi calls for greater coordination to combat the growing number of mysterious soundwave attacks against Americans dubbed “Havana Syndrome.”

It was clear that the Taliban was coming back into power in one form or another.

The Taliban’s takeover of Kabul has deepened the mutual distrust between the U.S. and Pakistan, two putative allies who have tangled over Afghanistan.

A growing number of U.S. intelligence officers and diplomats in Vienna have reported symptoms in recent months consistent with Havana syndrome, which include dizziness, migraines and memory loss.

The officer traveling with CIA Director William Burns sought medical care in India, in the latest case to stoke concern about the mystery illness.

A U.S. official says that CIA Director William Burns visited Kabul on Monday to meet with the Taliban’s top political leader. (Saul Loeb/Pool via AP) (Saul Loeb)WASHINGTON — (AP) — A U.S. intelligence officer suffered symptoms linked to a series of suspected directed-energy attacks known as “Havana syndrome” while traveling with CIA Director William Burns in India this month. The symptoms are often referred to as Havana syndrome because of a well-known series of cases affecting personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Cuba beginning in 2016. There are at least 200 cases under investigation, half of them involving intelligence personnel. The incident in early September occurred just a few weeks after two possible cases of Havana syndrome delayed Vice President Kamala Harris' trip from Singapore to Vietnam.

A U.S. intelligence officer suffered symptoms linked to a series of directed-energy attacks known as “Havana syndrome” while traveling with Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns in India earlier this month.

The officer traveling with CIA Director William Burns sought medical care in India, in the latest case to stoke concern about the mystery illness.

The large group of foreigners would depart Thursday on a Qatar Airways flight that had earlier ferried humanitarian aid to the country, said Mutlaq bin Majed al-Qahtani, a Qatari special envoy. Al-Qahtani said it was the first international commercial flight from Kabul airport since American forces left at the end of August, their departure accompanied by a frantic airlift of tens of thousands of foreign citizens and Afghans fleeing the Taliban. ___ISLAMABAD — Pakistan says Qatar’s foreign minister will arrive in Pakistan’s capital of Islamabad to discuss the latest situation in Afghanistan. In a statement, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said Qatari chief diplomat Mohammad bin Abdulrahman Al Thani during his day-long visit Thursday will meet with Pakistan’s foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and other top officials. Washington blamed Ghani’s flight and the government’s collapse for a Taliban takeover ahead of a negotiated deal.

Possible terrorist attacks may include the use of car bombs or rockets being fired at Kabul airport as the evacuation effort nears its Aug. 31 deadline.

As condolences and denunciations poured in from across the world in the aftermath of the twin blasts, the Taliban said it launched an investigation of the attack.

When it was last in power, the Taliban provided a safe harbor in Afghanistan for bin Laden.

The Biden administration has previously warned that Islamic State poses a threat to the evacuation mission.

Taliban leaders have shuttled between more than a dozen meetings over the past week with the few former Afghan officials who remain in Kabul.

Taliban takeover of Afghanistan: What you need to knowLive updates: Afghans running out of money as Taliban bans taking dollars out of the countryFAQ: What you need to know about the TalibanDispatch from Afghanistan: The treacherous journey into Kabul airport to escape Taliban-controlled AfghanistanMore related storiesCIA Director William Burns held secret meeting in Kabul with Taliban leader Abdul Ghani BaradarTaliban sends hundreds of fighters to final province beyond its controlBritain, other U.S. allies push back on Biden’s Aug. 31 deadline to leave KabulHere’s how the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan could affect al-Qaeda and the Islamic State

Both Republicans and Democrats agreed that if there are still American citizens left in Afghanistan trying to escape, the United States should not stick to the deadline.

It's “time for people to work for their country,” a Taliban spokesman said, as the Islamist militants blocked Afghans from Kabul airport.

More than 125 people harangued the West Geauga Local School Board over its mask mandate, including Josh Mandel, a Republican seeking election to the U.S. Senate. Some claimed they would sue the board.

The meeting was the group's highest-level encounter with the Biden administration since the fall of the Afghan capital.

A U.S. official says that CIA Director William Burns visited Kabul on Monday to meet with the Taliban’s top political leader. The official told The Associated Press the meeting between Burns and Abdul Ghani Baradar came amid the ongoing evacuations at the Kabul airport. At a news conference in Kabul, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Tuesday his group will accept “no extensions” of the deadline. The U.S. risks renewed attacks by the Taliban if its forces stay past the Aug. 31 deadline. He said ultimately it will be Biden's decision alone whether to continue military-led evacuation operations beyond Aug. 31.

A U.S. official says that CIA Director William Burns visited Kabul on Monday to meet with the Taliban’s top political leader. The official told The Associated Press the meeting between Burns and Abdul Ghani Baradar came amid the ongoing evacuations at the Kabul airport. At a news conference in Kabul, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Tuesday his group will accept “no extensions” of the deadline. About 21,600 people were flown safely out of Taliban-held Afghanistan in the 24-hour period that ended early Tuesday, the White House said. Milley tried to persuade the Taliban to reduce their attacks against Afghan forces, ultimately to no avail.

The talks between CIA Director William Burns and Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar come as an Aug. 31 deadline looms for the end of the U.S. airlift and withdrawal of U.S. forces.

The meeting was the group's highest-level encounter with the Biden administration since the fall of the Afghan capital.

A U.S. official says that CIA Director William Burns visited Kabul on Monday to meet with the Taliban’s top political leader. The official told The Associated Press the meeting between Burns and Abdul Ghani Baradar came amid the ongoing evacuations at the Kabul airport. About 21,600 people were flown safely out of Taliban-held Afghanistan in the 24-hour period that ended early Tuesday, the White House said. Milley tried to persuade the Taliban to reduce their attacks against Afghan forces, ultimately to no avail. U.S. officials said a military helicopter picked up 16 American citizens Monday and brought them to the airfield for evacuation.

William Burns' visit on Monday came ahead of a planned meeting among leaders from the Group of Seven nations about the crisis in Afghanistan.

Sharply divided leaders of the Group of Seven industrialized democracies have clashed over U.S. President Joe Biden’s insistence on withdrawing from Afghanistan by August 31 in the face of the Taliban takeover.

An administration official says President Joe Biden has decided to stick with his Aug. 31 deadline for completing a U.S.-led evacuation of Americans and at-risk Afghans from the Kabul airport and for withdrawing the remaining U.S. forces.

Even after months of intensified effort by multiple government agencies, evidence pinpointing the origin of the illness remains inconclusive.

Worries mount that its cause is still poorly understood and not identified publicly, according to current and former U.S. officials.

Several government officials affected by the ‘syndrome’ have been forced to take early retirement

CIA director William Burns called "Havana Syndrome," which up to 200 Americans have reported having symptoms of, "real" and "serious" during an interview.

In an NPR interview, William Burns says he has appointed a senior officer who led the hunt for Osama bin Laden to head the investigation into ailments that afflicted U.S. officials around the world.

Dozens of US officials in Vienna have experienced Havana syndrome symptoms since Joe Biden took office, making it the second biggest hotspot

The two-decade war in Afghanistan has given U.S. spies a perch for keeping tabs on terrorist groups that might once again use the beleaguered nation to plan attacks against the U.S. homeland.

Some of the scenarios are devastating, while others look like a future version of our current world.

The Biden administration faces increasing pressure to respond to a sharply growing number of reported injuries suffered by diplomats, intelligence officers and military personnel that some suspect are caused by devices that emit waves of energy that disrupt brain function.

More than a dozen CIA officers serving overseas have returned to the U.S. in 2021 after reporting symptoms consistent with the mysterious illness.

A new U.S. intelligence assessment says any gains in women’s rights in Afghanistan made in the last two decades will be at risk after the U.S. withdraws later this year.

A senior Afghan politician and a well-placed public figure say CIA Director William Burns made a recent unannounced visit to the Afghan capital of Kabul.

President Joe Biden this past week found himself in search of a foreign policy sweet spot: somewhere between pulling a screeching U-turn on four years of Trumpism and cautiously approaching the world as it is.

At its start, America’s war in Afghanistan was about retribution for 9/11.

Top U.S. intelligence and law enforcement officials testified before the Senate about worldwide threats facing the nation.

"It is time to end America's longest war," Biden said. "It is time for American troops to come home."

At its start, America’s war in Afghanistan was about retribution for 9/11.

A U_S_ intelligence community report says the effects of the coronavirus pandemic are expected to contribute over the next year to “humanitarian and economic crises, political unrest, and geopolitical competition."

(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden’s Cabinet is nearly complete with the confirmation of Labor Secretary Marty Walsh. A panel will also vote on advancing the nomination of Polly Ellen Trottenberg to be deputy secretary of transportation. And even as the Biden administration moves through picking nominees, there's no guarantee they'll all receive a smooth confirmation. And some of the deputies have become political footballs for Republicans looking to score concessions from the Biden administration. Cruz continues to hold up Biden’s nominee for deputy secretary of state, Wendy Sherman, until sanctions are imposed.

(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden’s Cabinet is nearly complete with the confirmation of Labor Secretary Marty Walsh on Monday. A panel will also vote on advancing the nomination of Polly Ellen Trottenberg to be deputy secretary of Transportation. And even as the Biden administration moves through picking nominees, there's no guarantee they'll all receive a smooth confirmation. And some of the deputies have become political footballs for Republicans looking to score concessions from the Biden administration. Cruz continues to hold up Biden’s nominee for deputy secretary of State, Wendy Sherman, until sanctions are imposed.

Washington — The Senate unanimously confirmed William Burns as the next director of the CIA on Thursday, weeks after the Senate Intelligence Committee advanced his nomination. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines also welcomed Burns' confirmation. William Burns speaks during his confirmation hearing to be director of the CIA before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday, February 24, 2021. CIA) nominee for U.S. President Joe Biden, speaks during a Senate Intelligence Committee confirmation hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021. CIA Deputy Director David Cohen has served as the agency's acting director.

William Burns, nominee for Central Intelligence Agency director, testifies during his Senate Select Intelligence Committee confirmation hearing, Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Tom Williams/Pool via AP)Without opposition, the Senate confirmed veteran diplomat William Burns as CIA director on Thursday, giving him control of the nation's premier spy agency as the U.S. government confronts threats from China, Russia, Iran and elsewhere. The approval, by voice vote, came soon after Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, lifted a hold he had placed on the nomination. He pledged at his confirmation hearing last month that he would deliver “unvarnished” intelligence to the White House. Burns was warmly received by Republicans at his Senate hearing, but his confirmation was held up this month by Cruz.

(Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON – After years of Democratic accusations that former President Donald Trump was too soft on Russia, the Biden administration is facing Republican criticism of its approach to Moscow. The Biden administration rejects the criticism, saying it has been clear about penalties for companies involved in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and that its goal is to bolster European energy security. Like the Trump administration before it, the Biden administration believes the pipeline will harm European energy security, particularly for countries in Eastern and Central Europe like Ukraine and Poland, which the pipeline bypasses. U.S. officials have long said they fear Russia will use the pipeline as a political tool against its neighbors. The Biden administration suggests more sanctions may be coming.

The announcement makes Haaland's confirmation by the Senate nearly certain and follows Haaland's endorsement last week by Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Manchin, a moderate from West Virginia, had been publicly undecided through two days of hearings on Haaland’s nomination by President Joe Biden. Collins said she also appreciated Haaland’s support on issues important to Maine, such as Acadia National Park, “as well as her deep knowledge of tribal issues, which has earned her the support of tribes across the country, including those in Maine.'' Interior oversees the nation's public lands and waters and leads relations with nearly 600 federally recognized tribes. AdThe Senate energy panel is set to vote on Haaland's nomination Thursday.

Biden took office promising to move quickly to restore and repair Americas relations with the rest of the world. From Iran to Russia, Europe to Latin America, Biden has sought to cool tensions that rose during President Donald Trump’s four years in office. China and the United States are the world’s two largest economies and the two largest emitters of greenhouse gases. The backdrop is clear: The United States is convinced that it and China are engaged in a duel for global dominance. Ad“There has been huge deviation between what they believe China is and what China really is,” Yu said.

WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden's nominee to run the CIA told lawmakers Wednesday that if confirmed he would intensify America's national security approach to counter China. "Out-competing China will be key to our national security in the days ahead," Will Burns said in his opening remarks to the Senate Intelligence Committee. Burns, 64, who has worked under both Republican and Democratic presidents, described Xi Jinping's China as "a formidable, authoritarian adversary." His confirmation is expected to easily pass with strong bipartisan support similar to the majority of Biden's national security team. The Senate confirmed Biden's top diplomat Antony Blinken in a 78 to 22 vote, making him the nation's next secretary of State.

William Burns testifies before a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on his nomination to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021 on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Tom Williams/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden's nominee to run the CIA told lawmakers Wednesday that he would keep politics out of the job and deliver “unvarnished” intelligence to politicians and policymakers even if they don't want to hear it. William Burns told members of the Senate Intelligence Committee at his confirmation hearing that “politics must stop where intelligence work begins.”“That is exactly what President Biden expects of CIA. It was the first thing he told me when he asked me to take on this role," Burns said. AdWhile Russia is in many ways a declining world power, the country remains a disruptive and potent threat, Burns said.

Washington — Ambassador William Burns, President Biden's nominee to lead the Central Intelligence Agency, vowed on Wednesday to boost efforts to collect intelligence on China and to approach competition with Beijing with "intensified focus and energy." Under Putin, Burns said, Russia will continue to be "at least as disruptive" as China. William Burns before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington on February 24, 2021. At the hearing, Burns committed to keeping politics out of intelligence — something he said Mr. Biden had personally demanded. Burns, who has already held five Senate-confirmed positions, is expected to be confirmed on a bipartisan basis for a sixth time.

She was speaking of U.S. foreign objectives overall, including the Iran deal. Biden's first priority for renewed talks is getting both Iran and the United States back in compliance with the nuclear deal, which offered Iran relief from sanctions in exchange for Iran accepting limits on its nuclear material and gear. “It would be a first step.”But Biden also faces pressure both from Democrats and Republican opponents of the Iran deal. The United States' European allies will be eager to help Biden wrack up a win on the new Iran talks if possible, Nasr said. Besides tapping Sherman for his administration, Biden has called back William Burns, who led secret early talks with Iran in Oman, as his CIA director.

Washington — President-elect Joe Biden has selected Ambassador William Burns, a career diplomat, as his nominee for director of the CIA, his transition team announced Monday. Burns is a 33-year veteran of the U.S. Foreign Service and currently serves as president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He holds the rank of career ambassador, the highest rank in the Foreign Service. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns testifies on the situation in Ukraine to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Capitol Hill on March 6, 2014. Ambassador Burns will bring the knowledge, judgment, and perspective we need to prevent and confront threats before they can reach our shores."

William J. Burns, a highly regarded diplomat with vast foreign policy experience and service in both Democratic and Republican administrations, was chosen Monday as President-elect Joe Biden’s director of the CIA. If he’s confirmed by the Senate, which is considered likely, Burns would succeed Gina Haspel, the first female CIA director. Burns, 64, worked in the State Department for 33 years, becoming deputy secretary of State before retiring in 2014 to take over the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Although the CIA director became a Cabinet-level post under Trump, Biden is expected to restore it to its position independent of the Oval Office. During his time at the State Department, he served as an aide to former secretaries of State Warren Christopher and Madeleine K. Albright.

President-elect Joe Biden has chosen veteran diplomat William Burns to be his CIA director. If confirmed, he would succeed Gina Haspel, the first female CIA director, who guided the agency under President Donald Trump. “I developed enormous respect for my colleagues in the CIA,” Burns said in an online video statement Monday with Biden. The director of national intelligence, not the CIA director, was in the Cabinet. Trump elevated the CIA director post back up to a Cabinet-level position, and both Haspel and National Intelligence Director John Ratcliffe sit in his Cabinet.

AdvertisementA veteran of earlier Biden presidential campaigns, Blinken has served as a regular surrogate for Biden this year, a frequent commentator on foreign policy and critic of Trump. “Joe Biden will benefit just by not being President Trump,” Blinken told The Times earlier this year. Burns resisted overt criticism of the Trump administration in its early months, but more recently became a vocal skeptic. Secretary of DefenseWhile not an exclusively foreign policy portfolio, the Pentagon also has a large partnership role in global diplomacy. For a Biden administration, all eyes are on Michele Flournoy, essentially the No.

For the last 2 years of haphazard foreign policy under President Trump, the refrain of reassurance was that at least the unconventional leader had not been faced with a major international crisis. AdvertisementCritics say Trump ignored all the warnings as well as counsel from advisors about how vulnerable the Syrian Kurds were and of the inevitably dire fallout. Trump junked the balancing act that had sustained U.S. operations in Syria, while angering both Turkey and its enemy, the Syrian Kurds, Brands said. Erdogan appeared to take Trumps mild admonitions to tread carefully as a green light to invade northern Syria where he would align with Russia. This was not caused by any action of President Trump, a senior administration official told reporters Monday evening.