Bersin gets another Homeland Security job
Alan Bersin has a new job, and it sounds pretty familiar: assistant secretary of international affairs for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Bersin, a former U.S. attorney in San Diego, held a similar title from April 2009 until March 2010. His latest job, announced Friday by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, came just as he stepped down as commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, a presidential recess appointment that was set to expire on Dec. 31.
In announcing Bersin’s new assignment, Napolitano said that he would serve as her department’s chief diplomatic officer. The new job, also a presidential appointment, involves “forging new partnerships with foreign governments and international organizations,” Napolitano said in published remarks.
Napolitano said her agency’s international responsibilities involve fighting threats such as terrorism and organized crime, narcotics and human smuggling, biological and nuclear weapons, and emerging threats from cyberspace.
Bersin’s first stint as assistant secretary for international affairs included the title of special representative for border affairs. His new title does not include the border designation.
Thanks to Obama’s recess appointment, Bersin had become head of Customs and Border Protection after the Senate refused to confirm him. last month, he announced that Dec. 30th would be his last day on the job.
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