WASHINGTON – Dec. 14, 2010 – Today Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made the following statement on the passing of Ambassador Richard Holbrooke:

"Christie and I are extremely saddened by the loss of Ambassador Richard Holbrooke and our hearts and prayers go out to his family. Richard was a giant among foreign policy scholars, a true and unyielding champion for the United States and American values, and a man who sought to end conflicts and bring peace to millions around the world.

"In his work in Afghanistan, Richard believed in bringing economic opportunity to millions of Afghans through development initiatives, including agriculture. He was a tremendous partner who believed in the good work of USDA and other federal agencies in Afghanistan. He was also a tremendous partner to hundreds of federal civilians who work every day in extremely difficult circumstances in Afghanistan and Pakistan, trying to bring knowledge and understanding, trying to forge peace, trying to build a bridge -- efforts that defined Richard's storied career. Above all, Richard was a friend, and Christie and I will miss him dearly."

#

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice), or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.