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Official Who Led Secret Talks With Iran Plans to Retire Diplomat Who Led Secret Talks With Iran Plans to Retire
(about 5 hours later)
WASHINGTON — William J. Burns, a career diplomat who led the Obama administration’s back-channel negotiations with Iran, is planning to step down from his job as the State Department’s second-ranking official in October, administration officials said on Friday. WASHINGTON — William J. Burns, a career diplomat who led the Obama administration’s back-channel negotiations with Iran, plans to step down as the State Department’s second-ranking official in October, administration officials said on Friday.
Now the deputy secretary of state, Mr. Burns has been a trusted diplomat in both Republican as well as Democratic administrations. He has twice delayed his retirement, most recently at the request of President Obama. Mr. Burns, the deputy secretary of state, has been a trusted diplomat in both Republican and Democratic administrations. He has twice delayed his retirement, most recently at the request of President Obama.
Mr. Obama joined Secretary of State John Kerry and two of Mr. Kerry’s predecessors in praising Mr. Burns’s record. Mr. Obama joined Secretary of State John Kerry and several of Mr. Kerry’s predecessors in praising Mr. Burns’s record.
“Since I met Bill in Moscow in 2005, I have admired his skill and precision,” Mr. Obama said in a statement, adding that he had “relied on him for countless delicate tasks — and each one he has handled with that same skill and precision.”“Since I met Bill in Moscow in 2005, I have admired his skill and precision,” Mr. Obama said in a statement, adding that he had “relied on him for countless delicate tasks — and each one he has handled with that same skill and precision.”
Mr. Kerry compared him to George F. Kennan and Charles E. Bohlen, and said he “has more than earned his place on a very short list of American diplomatic legends.” Mr. Kerry compared Mr. Burns to George F. Kennan and Charles E. Bohlen, and said he “has more than earned his place on a very short list of American diplomatic legends.”
Mr. Burns’s decision to delay his departure until October raises the possibility that he may again play a role on Iran policy should formal negotiations fail to produce a comprehensive agreement to restrict Iran’s nuclear program by their July deadline.Mr. Burns’s decision to delay his departure until October raises the possibility that he may again play a role on Iran policy should formal negotiations fail to produce a comprehensive agreement to restrict Iran’s nuclear program by their July deadline.
A successor for Mr. Burns has yet to be chosen. But the candidates are likely to include Antony Blinken, Mr. Obama’s deputy national security adviser, and Wendy R. Sherman, the under secretary of state who is leading the American team in the formal nuclear negotiations with Iran. A successor to Mr. Burns has yet to be chosen. But the candidates are likely to include Antony J. Blinken, Mr. Obama’s deputy national security adviser, and Wendy R. Sherman, the under secretary of state who is leading the American team in the formal negotiations with Iran.
Other possible candidates include Thomas A. Shannon Jr., a career Foreign Service officer who serves as the State Department counselor; Michele Flournoy, a former senior policy official at the Pentagon; and R. Nicholas Burns, a former ranking State Department official. Other possible candidates include Thomas A. Shannon Jr., a career Foreign Service officer who serves as the State Department counselor; Michele Flournoy, a former senior official at the Pentagon; and R. Nicholas Burns, a former ranking State Department official who is no relation to William Burns.
During his 32-year career, Mr. Burns has served as the American ambassador in Moscow and in Amman, Jordan. He took up his post in Jordan in 1998, several months before the death of King Hussein and the transition of power to his son, King Abdullah. During his 32-year career, William Burns, 58, has served as the American ambassador in Moscow and in Amman, Jordan. He took up his post in Jordan in 1998, before the death of King Hussein and the transition of power to his son, King Abdullah.
The United States negotiated its first trade agreement with an Arab country during Mr. Burns’s tour there, and Mr. Burns still has close ties with King Abdullah.
But much of Mr. Burns’s career has been spent at senior levels of the State Department in Washington.But much of Mr. Burns’s career has been spent at senior levels of the State Department in Washington.
When Colin Powell served as secretary of state during the administration of George W. Bush, he asked Mr. Burns, who was then the assistant secretary for Near Eastern affairs, to prepare a memo outlining the potential risks of invading Iraq. James A. Baker III, who served as secretary of state for the elder President George Bush, recalled that the soft-spoken Mr. Burns was one of his most effective aides.
“He was the most understated of all of them, but what he said made extraordinary good sense,” Mr. Baker said.
When Colin Powell was secretary of state during the administration of George W. Bush, he asked Mr. Burns, who was then the assistant secretary for Near Eastern affairs, to prepare a memo outlining the risks of invading Iraq.
“We were all supporting the president’s decision,” Mr. Powell said, referring to Mr. Bush’s decision to use force. “But we felt that we had an obligation to point out some of the problems one might run into.”“We were all supporting the president’s decision,” Mr. Powell said, referring to Mr. Bush’s decision to use force. “But we felt that we had an obligation to point out some of the problems one might run into.”
David D. Pearce, who currently serves as ambassador to Greece but who worked for Mr. Burns at the time, drafted much of the memo. Ryan C. Crocker, who later served as ambassador to Iraq and Afghanistan, and Mr. Burns also helped prepare the document. David D. Pearce, who worked for Mr. Burns at the time and is now the ambassador to Greece, drafted much of the memo. Ryan C. Crocker, who later served as ambassador to Iraq and Afghanistan, also helped prepare the document. Called the “Perfect Storm,” it highlighted the risk that an American intervention might cause sectarian tensions, but it had little effect on Mr. Bush’s calculations.
Called the “Perfect Storm,” the memo highlighted the risk that an American intervention might unleash sectarian tensions, but the document had little effect on Mr. Bush’s calculations. Mr. Burns held the State Department’s third-highest policy post during the early years of the Obama administration. Hillary Rodham Clinton, the secretary of state at the time, picked Mr. Burns to be deputy secretary. He is only the second career Foreign Service officer to hold the job, and has had influence over top State Department appointments.
Mr. Burns held the State Department’s third-highest policy post during the early years of the Obama administration. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who was then serving as secretary of state, picked Mr. Burns to be deputy secretary. He is only the second career Foreign Service officer to hold that post.
“He was a steady hand but also a very effective firefighter,” Mrs. Clinton said in an interview.“He was a steady hand but also a very effective firefighter,” Mrs. Clinton said in an interview.
It was Mr. Burns who accompanied the bodies of Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans in a C-17 flight to Washington from Ramstein Air Base in Germany after the attack on the American compound in Benghazi, Libya. It was Mr. Burns who accompanied the bodies of Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans on a C-17 flight to Washington from Ramstein Air Base in Germany after the attack on the American compound in Benghazi, Libya. More recently, Mr. Burns led the American team in secret talks with Iran that set the stage for the interim agreement that temporarily froze much of Iran’s nuclear program.
More recently, Mr. Burns led the American team in secret talks with Iran that set the stage for the interim agreement that temporarily froze much of Iran’s nuclear program. “When we decided we were going to pursue it, we began to set it up for Bill to go,” Mrs. Clinton said of the secret negotiations.
In 2012, the Obama administration sent Jacob J. Sullivan, the director of the Office of Policy Planning under Mrs. Clinton, and Puneet Talwar, an aide on the National Security Council, to Oman to explore a possible opening to Iran on the nuclear issue. In March 2013, Mr. Burns and a small group of American officials flew in an unmarked government plane to Oman, where they met with Iranian officials in a secluded seaside location outside Muscat, the capital.
The sultan of Oman has long maintained ties with Iran even as he has worked with the West, so he was able to play the role of facilitator. After initial talks, it was decided that Mr. Burns should lead a higher-level effort. The message Mr. Burns delivered to his Iranian counterparts was that the United States was prepared to explore an agreement allowing Iran to maintain a civil nuclear program that included the ability to enrich uranium if Tehran accepted limits to preclude that program from being used to develop nuclear weapons.
“When we decided we were going to pursue it, we began to set it up for Bill to go,” Mrs. Clinton said. In November, when Mr. Kerry went to Geneva for formal talks between six world powers and Iran on the nuclear issue, Mr. Burns traveled there separately and kept his back channel with Iran open.
In March 2013, Mr. Burns and a small team of American officials flew in an unmarked United States government plane to Oman, where they met with Iranian officials in a secluded seaside location outside Muscat, the capital. During delicate moments in the talks, Mr. Burns and Jacob J. Sullivan, a former aide to Mrs. Clinton who is now the national security adviser to Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., used a back entrance to meet with Mr. Kerry and Ms. Sherman in the secretary’s hotel suite.
The message Mr. Burns delivered to his Iranian counterparts was that the United States was prepared to explore an agreement that would allow Iran to maintain a civil nuclear program that included the capability to enrich uranium if Tehran was prepared to accept limits to preclude that program from being used to develop nuclear weapons. The talks led to an interim agreement that temporarily froze much of Iran’s nuclear program, but the prospects for a more lasting agreement are uncertain, and Mr. Burns may yet have a role to play.
When Mr. Kerry went in November to the formal talks in Geneva between six world powers and Iran on the nuclear issue, Mr. Burns traveled there separately and kept his back channel with Iran alive.
During delicate moments in the talks, Mr. Burns and Mr. Sullivan, who now serves as the national security adviser to Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., used a back entrance to meet with Mr. Kerry and Ms. Sherman in the secretary’s hotel suite.
The Geneva negotiations led to an interim agreement that temporarily froze much of Iran’s nuclear program, but the prospects for a more lasting agreement are uncertain, and Mr. Burns may yet have a role to play.