Washington, DC – Rep. Howard L. Berman (D-CA), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement today extending his condolences on the loss of Ambassador Richard Holbrooke:

“I wish to express my deepest condolences on the passing of my friend, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, one of our country’s most brilliant diplomats. For half a century, Ambassador Holbrooke was a tireless champion of United States foreign policy interests around the world, whether in Vietnam, the Balkans, or in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Holbrooke will forever be remembered for his passionate and meticulous approach to diplomacy and by the tens of millions of people around the world whose lives have been affected for the better by his work.”

“Ambassador Holbrooke was a diplomat’s diplomat who sacrificed for his country more than any of us can imagine. His gregarious, inquisitive and forceful personality had an impact on everyone he met, including the many State Department officers who he worked with over the years, and in whom his work ethic, determination, and values will live on.”

“My thoughts and prayers are with his family during the difficult time.”