Towing the line between diplomat and intelligence agent, Burns's trips to the region are shrouded under a cloak of mystery.

A prisoner swap between the United States and Afghanistan’s Taliban has freed two Americans in exchange for a Taliban figure ...

Two other American captives remain in Afghanistan: George Glezmann, a former airline mechanic, and Mahmood Habibi, a ...

As C.I.A. director, William J. Burns was deeply focused on China and Russia when the Middle East conflict plunged him back ...

While the United States tries to spy on one of the hardest targets, Burns has also tried to reopen a dialogue with Beijing, ...