Willam Burns, named on May 21, 2001, as the U.S. special assistant in charge of dealing with Israeli-Palestinian tensions, is an unpretentious, well-liked career diplomat with long experience in the Middle East. Currently serving as the U.S. ambassador to Jordan, a post at the State Department. Burns is pictured in a land mine area along the Jordanian-Israeli border in this April 26, 1999 file photo.

AJ