[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 29 (Thursday, February 12, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2175-S2176]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   TRIBUTE TO AMBASSADOR RYAN CROCKER

  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to an American 
patriot, a man of the finest caliber, and a diplomat whose skills and 
determination have helped alter history's course for the better.
  In a few days, Ambassador Ryan Crocker will depart his post as the 
chief American diplomat in Iraq. His departure will mark the close of a 
storied career, one of nearly 40 years of distinguished service to our 
country. In dedicating his career to furthering America's interests and 
ideals in the far reaches of the globe, and in coupling his dedication 
with a tremendously adventurous spirit, Ryan Crocker has become known 
informally as our own ``Lawrence of Arabia.''
  As a young man in Walla Walla, WA, Ryan Crocker decided to depart not 
for the beaches of southern California but, rather, abroad, hitchhiking 
from western Europe to Southeast Asia. By the time he graduated from 
Whitman College in 1971, Ambassador Crocker had already visited more of 
the world than most Americans will throughout their lifetimes. His 
extensive travel and interest in global politics and culture led him to 
join the Foreign Service in 1971.
  Ambassador Crocker quickly developed a reputation for incredible 
dedication in the face of challenges. From his early days at the State 
Department, he was assigned to some of the most difficult posts in the 
Foreign Service. He worked in Iran, Qatar, Egypt, and in Saddam 
Hussein's Iraq. He was in the Embassy in Beirut in 1983, when a 
Hezbollah suicide bomber killed 63 people. Thrown against the wall by 
the blast, Ambassador Crocker immediately began helping others escape 
the rubble.
  He went on to serve as Ambassador to Lebanon, Kuwait, Syria, 
Pakistan, and Iraq. During his time in Damascus, demonstrators 
assaulted his residence and, in 2002, he reopened the U.S. Embassy in 
Kabul, which had been untouched by Americans since 1989. A newspaper 
account illustrates the spirit that animates this selfless patriot:

       He arrived to find a cobweb-strewn wreck full of 1989 
     newspapers, broken Wang computers and maps of the old Soviet 
     Union. U.S. Marines outnumbered diplomats by 3 to 1, and all 
     100 Americans slept on cots and shared two working toilets. 
     Yet Crocker was upbeat. ``The men and women of this mission 
     are extremely proud to be a forward element,'' Crocker told 
     [Secretary of State] Powell at the time.

  Throughout all these assignments, Ryan Crocker has approached his 
work with resolve, tenacity, and a unique ability to see the broader 
strategic issues in play. Had he never gone to lead the U.S. Embassy in 
Iraq, the American people would owe him deep gratitude. Had he not 
accepted the challenge in Baghdad, he would have nevertheless won the 
sincere appreciation and admiration of all Senators. Yet it was in his 
decision to become America's Ambassador to Iraq that Ryan Crocker has 
left his true mark on history, and we are all the better off for it.
  He was sworn in not here in Washington, as is customary, but in 
Baghdad, and in March 2007, as the surge of troops to Iraq was 
commencing, GEN David Petraeus had taken over as commander, and our 
Nation was making its greatest, and possibly final, push to avoid 
disaster in Iraq. Let us remember that in 2007, as public support for 
the war plummeted, we in Congress were engaged in a great debate about 
the way forward in Iraq. Sectarian violence was spiraling out of 
control, life had become a struggle for survival, and a full-scale 
civil war seemed almost unavoidable. Al-Qaida in Iraq was on the 
offensive and entire Iraqi provinces were under the control of 
extremists. Noting that ``here in Iraq, America faces its most critical 
foreign policy challenge,'' Ambassador Crocker did not sugarcoat the 
situation or present an overly rosy scenario. He never does. He 
stressed just how hard the path ahead would be but stressed also that 
it was not impossible. As he would later testify before the Armed 
Services Committee, ``hard does not mean hopeless.''

  It was this combination--cold-eyed appraisal of the reality of Iraq 
combined with hope that things could change for the better--that was so 
refreshing every time I visited Baghdad. In a true partnership with 
General Petraeus, Ambassador Crocker executed a civil military 
counterinsurgency plan for Iraq that turned the tide of violence in a 
timeframe and to a degree that surprised even the optimists. He ensured 
unprecedented cooperation between the military, the Embassy, and our 
allies. His decades of experience in the Middle East proved invaluable 
as he navigated an increasingly complex and contentious regional 
dynamic. His efforts, in coordination with the brave men and women of 
the military and State Department, are the reason we find ourselves in 
a situation many thought was not possible.
  Ryan Crocker's determination to succeed in a situation where many 
would have failed should inspire us all. Yet any who have followed the 
career of this skilled and extraordinary diplomat shouldn't be 
surprised. His creative and pragmatic approach to diplomacy has earned 
respect both at home and abroad. His list of awards and achievements is 
long and distinguished, including the Presidential Meritorious Service 
Award, the State Department Distinguished Honor Award, the American 
Foreign Service Association Rivkin Award, and most recently the 
Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Nation's highest civilian 
commendation.
  I am immensely grateful for the enormous contributions that 
Ambassador Crocker has made to the Department of State, to our Nation, 
and the people of Iraq. As he departs Baghdad, he will be sorely 
missed. We wish Ambassador Crocker and his family all the best as he 
enters the next chapter of his life. He has earned the respect and 
admiration of a grateful nation.
  I have had the great honor for many years to travel the world and 
encounter many of our wonderful Foreign Service personnel and the men 
and women who serve in posts throughout the world. They serve with 
dedication and most of the time without the appreciation they deserve. 
I have been so impressed with the people who have dedicated their lives 
to serving this Nation all around the world, in many cases in the most 
difficult of circumstances. I know of no one I have met in my life who 
epitomizes public service more than Ryan Crocker; a quiet demeanor, 
modesty, and, frankly, a knowledge of the issues and the complexities 
which would take many hours to describe that prevail in the Middle 
East.

[[Page S2176]]

  Ryan Crocker came at a seminal time to the Embassy in Baghdad, and in 
partnership with one of our great military leaders, General Petraeus--a 
true and equal partnership--those two individuals changed the course of 
history. Many in this body at that time had believed there was no hope 
for Iraq and that the situation could not be salvaged. Because of Ryan 
Crocker, David Petraeus, and many others, with their leadership we have 
just witnessed an election taking place in Iraq that was virtually 
without incident.
  Ambassador Crocker will be the first to tell us there is a long way 
to go in Iraq. There are many challenges ahead, but we do have an ally, 
a democratic nation, and the hope of a society free of the oppression 
and repression that unfortunately has characterized the situation in 
Iraq for centuries.
  So, again, I know in the future young Americans who serve this 
country will continue to be inspired by the performance and the 
dedication of Ryan Crocker. We will miss him. We will miss him 
enormously, but I know he will continue to serve this country in any 
way possible for as long as he lives. Thank you, Ryan Crocker.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a 
quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. ENSIGN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. ENSIGN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in 
morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator is recognized.

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