[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 15] [Senate] [Pages 22579-22580] [From the U.S. 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 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 [[Page 22580]] 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. ____________________