January 18, 2008

Nicholas Burns To Leave State Dept.

Nicholas Burns, No. 3 at the State Department and chief U.S. negotiator in the push to increase international sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, is leaving the agency after 26 years of foreign service, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced today. The undersecretary of state for political affairs is officially leaving his post in March, citing personal reasons for his departure.

"This is a very bittersweet time for us because Nick Burns has decided that it is time for him to retire,” Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in announcing his resignation. “He has decided that it’s the right moment to go back to family concerns.”

President Bush plans to nominate U.S. Ambassador to Russia William Burns (no relation) for the post. Meanwhile, Nicholas Burns has pledged to "help push the US-India civilian nuclear deal to conclusion and also help in efforts by the Bush administration to secure an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement" as part of his retirement, Agence France-Presse reports.

AP and the New York Times have more details on this story. The State Department has a biography of Burns here.

Posted at 2:50 PM
Posted to: Bush Administration, Condoleezza Rice, Iran, Middle East, President Bush
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