[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 15] [Senate] [Page 22371] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]REMEMBERING RICHARD HOLBROOKE Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, it is with great sadness that I pay tribute to the memory of my friend Richard Holbrooke, who passed away earlier this week. Richard was a masterful diplomat who brought his extraordinary skills to bear on some of the thorniest issues in U.S. foreign policy. Every step of the way, from his tremendous accomplishments at the Dayton Accords to his work as U.S. Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, he showed his deep commitment to our country, and to serving the greater good the world over. I came to know Richard when we travelled to Africa together in 1999, when he was serving as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. He had never been to Africa before, and yet on the trip he was able to thoroughly grasp the complex issues facing the continent immediately. His brilliance was apparent, and it enabled him to identify emerging issues quickly and push for critical action. On that trip our purpose was to focus on the crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but we also saw the incredible devastation of the HIV/AIDS crisis firsthand. Richard called then-U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and told him that the Security Council needed to address AIDS directly. When the Secretary-General responded that the Security Council only addressed security issues, Richard replied that this was, indeed, a security issue. He was right, and the Security Council's subsequent discussion was a turning point as the world community began to understand the depth and severity of the crisis on the African continent. In the years since, Richard always made time to discuss foreign policy issues with me, and he always truly listened and wanted to understand my point of view, even when we disagreed. This was especially true of his work on Afghanistan and Pakistan. We didn't always see eye to eye about U.S. policy in the region, but he always reached out to me and solicited my views, and I was so appreciative of that. Those efforts on his part said volumes about him and his thoughtful approach to the complex issues he worked on with such commitment and such skill. We had breakfast the morning after one of his last trips. I could see the toll his work was taking on him, but he was terrific to be with as usual. He was completely engaging and interested in my perspective, yet still managed to work the whole room, multitasking as always. Richard Holbrooke was an extraordinary man of many talents who spent his life building a better, more just world for us all. His many accomplishments will live on as a testament to his profound commitment to our nation and to a life of public service. But for me, I will simply miss him as a friend. ____________________