MEMRI is deeply saddened by the passing of Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke, a former member of our Board of Advisors and President Obama's Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued a statement on Ambassador Holbrooke that reflects the feelings of many: "Tonight, America has lost one of its fiercest champions and most dedicated public servants. Richard Holbrooke served the country he loved for nearly half a century, representing the United States in far-flung war-zones and high-level peace talks, always with distinctive brilliance and unmatched determination. He was one of a kind – a true statesman – and that makes his passing all the more painful… Tonight my thoughts and prayers are with Richard's beloved wife Kati, his sons David and Anthony, his step-children Elizabeth and Chris Jennings, his daughter-in-law Sarah, and all of his countless friends and colleagues."
When he served on MEMRI's Board of Advisors, Ambassador Holbrooke said: "MEMRI allows an audience far beyond the Arabic-speaking world to observe the wide variety of Arab voices speaking through the media, schoolbooks, and pulpits to their own people. What one hears is often astonishing, sometimes frightening, and always important. Most importantly, it includes the newly emerging liberal voices of reform and hope, as well as disturbing echoes of ancient hatreds. Without the valuable research of MEMRI, the non-Arabic speaking world would not have this indispensable window."
We will continue to honor his memory through our work and through our ongoing commitment to the issues to which he dedicated his life.
