CIA chief: I'm no Jason Bourne, I drive an old Subaru

CIA chief: I'm no Jason Bourne, I drive an old Subaru

CIA Director William Burns (pictured April 2021) says his life is nothing like James Bond or Jason Bourne, in the first edition of the US spy agency's pdcast 'The Langley Files'
CIA Director William Burns (pictured April 2021) says his life is nothing like James Bond or Jason Bourne, in the first edition of the US spy agency's pdcast 'The Langley Files'. Photo: SAUL LOEB / POOL/AFP/File
Source: AFP

PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ find the “Recommended for you” block on the home page and enjoy!

CIA Director Bill Burns said in the US spy agency's first-ever podcast Thursday that his life is nothing like Jason Bourne and James Bond, ripping hot cars through crowded cities and deploying unimaginable lethal gadgets.

Popular spy films show "a world of heroic individuals who drive fast cars and defuse bombs and solve world crises all on their own every day," Burns said.

"That, I have to tell you, is a constant source of amusement for my wife and daughters."

"I'm most comfortable driving our 2013 Subaru Outback at posted speed limits and, for me at least, the height of technological daring is when I can finally get the Roku remote to work at home," he admitted.

Burns, 66, a veteran diplomat who has run the Central Intelligence Agency since March 2021, made the comments in the first episode of "The Langley Files," a podcast that pledges to demystify the super-secret agency.

Read also

Iran demonstrations hit home for diaspora women

Burns' main point was to stress that while the CIA has many officers undercover in the field, they are not dramatic solo operators like Bond, Bourne or Jack Ryan of Hollywood fame.

PAY ATTENTION: Follow Briefly News on Twitter and never miss the hottest topics! Find us at @brieflyza!

"The truth is that intelligence is very much a team sport. It's a profession of hard collective work and shared risks," Burns said.

And besides field operators, it involves teams of people -- scientists, digital specialists and other analysts -- sifting information in offices.

He held up the operation that found and killed al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in July, as well as CIA intelligence in December and January showing Russia planned to invade Ukraine, as important successes.

"Our successes are often obscured, our failures are often painfully visible, and our sacrifices are often unknown. But a certain amount of discretion certainly comes with the territory," Burns said.

Read also

Prime-time lies: Brazil candidates take information wars to TV

The podcast is hosted by "Dee" and "Walter," but a CIA spokesperson would not give their last names or even say if the first names were authentic.

Asked how often the podcast would appear, the spokesperson said, "Periodically."

PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ find the “Recommended for you” block on the home page and enjoy!

Source: AFP

Authors:
AFP avatar

AFP AFP text, photo, graphic, audio or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. AFP news material may not be stored in whole or in part in a computer or otherwise except for personal and non-commercial use. AFP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions in any AFP news material or in transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages whatsoever. As a newswire service, AFP does not obtain releases from subjects, individuals, groups or entities contained in its photographs, videos, graphics or quoted in its texts. Further, no clearance is obtained from the owners of any trademarks or copyrighted materials whose marks and materials are included in AFP material. Therefore you will be solely responsible for obtaining any and all necessary releases from whatever individuals and/or entities necessary for any uses of AFP material.