[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 168 (Friday, December 17, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10509-S10510]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     REMEMBERING RICHARD HOLBROOKE

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, the greatness of our Nation depends not 
just on our economic or military might or the drive of our people. We 
are great in part because we seek not just our own prosperity and 
security but peace and security for all peoples, and because we 
understand the relationship between their security and our own. And few 
Americans in our time have done more to advance those goals around the 
world than Ambassador Richard Holbrooke. His sudden passing this week 
is a great loss to this Nation, and to anyone anywhere who values peace 
and freedom.
  Richard Holbrooke saw opportunities for peace where others saw only 
impenetrable thickets of competing interest and implacable enmity. 
Surely that

[[Page S10510]]

was true of the Balkans in the 1990s, a region of the world plagued for 
centuries by ethnic and religious hatreds so deep that many considered 
them impossible to solve. Richard Holbrooke found a way. Thanks to the 
tireless work of his diplomatic team on the Dayton Accords, thousands 
lived who might otherwise have died, and millions were lifted out of 
the horror of war.
  Much has been said and written about Ambassador Holbrooke's larger-
than-life personality. His presence was formidable, his ambition as 
towering as his talent. But that ambition, that forceful intellect and 
arresting presence, were harnessed to a larger goal--the promotion of 
his Nation's interest, and the larger interest of the global community.
  I had the privilege of working closely with Ambassador Holbrooke when 
he took on the role of Special Representative for Afghanistan and 
Pakistan. Here was another place where his talents were needed, another 
region of the world plagued by centuries-old conflicts and modern-day 
animosities. I valued his analysis and advice, and admired the way in 
which he eagerly sought out information and advice from his own staff 
and from outside sources. He was decisive and determined, but he came 
to his positions after seeking out and carefully analyzing diverse 
viewpoints.
  I am saddened at the loss of Richard Holbrooke. I am saddened I will 
no longer be able to discuss with him the pressing issues of our time. 
And I am saddened that our nation will never again be able to call upon 
him to calm the troubled waters of our world. But his legacy is secure. 
It can be found in the countless younger men and women who learned at 
his side and will carry on his work. It can be found in the safer, more 
secure nation that he served. And it can be found in all the war-torn 
corners of the world where fear and hatred and violence are held at bay 
thanks to his tireless efforts.

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