“The #CIA workforce thanks Director Haspel for her 36 years of dedicated service to the American people. You have broken barriers and empowered the next generation of CIA officers.”

CIA Tweet (January 19 2021)

January 20 2021 — Late last night, a CIA tweet announced that CIA Director Gina Haspel had resigned. President-elect Joe Biden has nominated William Burns to be the next CIA director but this position must be confirmed by the Senate. So, who is the CIA director right now? Here is the answer. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY

RELATED POST: One Year Ago — CIA New Order of Succession (June 14 2019)

RELATED POST: RUMINT — DCIA Gina Haspel to Step Down After Election. Who will run Biden’s CIA? [FINAL UPDATE — Haspel Goodbye Tweet]

Jemima McEvoy — Forbes Staff Business — writes:

“President-elect Joe Biden has named William Burns, a deputy secretary of state in the Obama administration, as his pick for CIA director, however, it’s currently unclear who will serve in the role until a new director is confirmed by the Senate.

The CIA did not immediately respond to questions from Forbes.”

Actually, it is crystal clear who exercises the Director’s powers if the Director position becomes vacant.

According to the Memorandum on Providing an Order of Succession Within the Central Intelligence Agency (The White House — June 14 2019):

“The following officers of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), in the order listed, shall act as and perform the functions and duties of the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (D/CIA), during any period in which the D/CIA has died, resigned, or otherwise becomes unable to perform the functions and duties of the office of D/CIA.”

The order of succession determines who (according to a list of 12 CIA officers) will act and perform the functions and duties of the CIA Director in the event Gina Haspel “resigns”.

At the top of the list, you find “Deputy Director, CIA” who is currently Vaughn Bishop serving in this position since August 1 2018.

Next on this list are: Chief Operating Officer, Deputy Director of CIA for Operations, Deputy Director of CIA for Analysis, Deputy Director of CIA for Science and Technology, Deputy Director of CIA for Digital Innovation, Deputy Director of CIA for Support, General Counsel, Deputy Chief Operating Officer, Senior CIA Representative for the United Kingdom,  Senior CIA Representative for the East Coast and Senior CIA Representative for the West Coast.

PS — President-elect Joe Biden has picked David Cohen to serve as deputy director of the CIA. This position doesn’t require Senate confirmation.

“The CIA Deputy Director (DD/CIA) supports the Director in managing the Agency’s intelligence collection, analysis, covert action, counterintelligence, and liaison relationships with foreign services. The DD/CIA also exercises the Director’s powers in his or her absence or if the Director position becomes vacant.”

CIA Website — Deputy Director of the CIA

REFERENCES

CIA Director Gina Haspel Announces Resignation — Forbes

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CIA Director Gina Haspel has resigned. Who is the boss now?