[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 46 (Thursday, March 15, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E318]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              IN RECOGNITION OF AMBASSADOR FREDERIC C. HOF

                                  _____
                                 

                          HON. ADAM KINZINGER

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 15, 2018

  Mr. KINZINGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Ambassador 
Frederic C. Hof on his retirement from the Atlantic Council. Ambassador 
Hof has had an impressive career as a diplomat at the United States 
Department of State, a private sector CEO, and an officer of the United 
States Army. He is a Vietnam veteran and Purple Heart recipient. As a 
military officer, he served on the commission that investigated the 
1983 bombing of the U.S. Marine Corps headquarters at the Beirut 
International Airport. In 2001, he served as chief of staff on the 
Sharm al-Sheikh Fact-Finding Commission, headed by former Senate 
Majority Leader George Mitchell, and was the principal drafter of the 
Commission's report. During his time at the State Department, 
Ambassador Hof took the lead in an effort to mediate Syrian-Israeli 
peace and was given the rank of Ambassador in his capacity as special 
adviser to the Secretary of State for transition in Syria.
  After joining the Atlantic Council, as the leading Syria fellow in 
the Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East, Ambassador Hof devoted his 
time to furthering the Syrian cause through the protection of 
civilians. As a prolific writer and leader, Ambassador Hof has hosted 
Syrian experts, activists, political leaders, and humanitarians in high 
level discussions pertaining to the U.S.-Syria policy and geopolitical 
implications of the Syrian conflict. Through his efforts, he has led 
the discussions on securing a stable and legitimate government in Syria 
and what role the United States should have. After taking on the role 
of director at the Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East, Ambassador 
Hof continued his efforts to bring attention to the Syrian conflict and 
its ongoing destabilization to the region at large.
  Mr. Speaker, as the seventh anniversary of the Syrian uprising 
approaches, I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking Ambassador Hof 
for his tireless efforts to bring attention to the Syrian conflict and 
its ongoing destabilization to the region at large. His service to this 
great nation is deeply appreciated and is a testament to the greatness 
and opportunity that these United States of America holds for freedom-
loving people.

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