Ambassador Crocker ‘Served his nation with honor’
March 25, 2009
‘Ambassador Crocker may be leaving the stage, but his service to our nation will not be forgotten’
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor Wednesday honoring Ryan Crocker:
“It’s appropriate for us to honor from time to time outstanding public servants whose work on behalf of the American people might otherwise be overlooked. Next week, Ambassador Ryan Crocker will return home to Washington State after a remarkable career promoting America’s interests abroad. In a career spanning nearly 40 years, Ambassador Crocker has represented the U.S. in some of the most challenging environments. So it’s fitting that we pause to honor him on a job well done.
“A graduate of Whitman College in Washington, Ryan Crocker joined the Foreign Service in 1971, beginning a career that would take him to diplomatic posts in Iran, Qatar, Egypt, Lebanon, and Iraq. Ambassador Crocker served as Ambassador to Syria, Kuwait, Lebanon, Pakistan, and, most recently, Iraq. Clearly, he has not shied away from a challenge. And he has excelled at every one.
“Earlier in his career, Ambassador Crocker served in Lebanon during the Israeli invasion of 1982 and the bombing of the U.S Marine barracks in 1983 — experiences from which he would later draw important lessons while serving in Iraq, particularly in 2007, when Shia militias and Sunni insurgents fed sectarian tensions and tribal feuds.
“Ambassador Crocker’s career spanned the entire Middle East and recent U.S. history. But he will undoubtedly be remembered most for his service in Iraq. Success in Iraq was never ensured, but it was made far more likely by the presence of Ryan Crocker. As Ambassador from March 2007 to February 2009, he was instrumental in carrying out the diplomatic tasks required to implement the counterinsurgency strategy, and to successfully defend that strategy before a skeptical Congress. He also carried out the negotiation that produced the Status of Forces Agreement, and he helped Iraqis through provincial elections. In all this, Ambassador Crocker forged a strong partnership with General David Petraeus that protected our nation’s interests in Iraq at a moment of peril
“Ryan Crocker has served his nation with honor, and our country owes him a debt. He is a diplomat’s diplomat, the best of the best, and a tribute to the State Department that he has served. He is also a very fine man, and I wish him well in retirement and the best of luck in the future. Ambassador Crocker may be leaving the stage, but his service to our nation will not be forgotten.”
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WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor Wednesday honoring Ryan Crocker:
“It’s appropriate for us to honor from time to time outstanding public servants whose work on behalf of the American people might otherwise be overlooked. Next week, Ambassador Ryan Crocker will return home to Washington State after a remarkable career promoting America’s interests abroad. In a career spanning nearly 40 years, Ambassador Crocker has represented the U.S. in some of the most challenging environments. So it’s fitting that we pause to honor him on a job well done.
“A graduate of Whitman College in Washington, Ryan Crocker joined the Foreign Service in 1971, beginning a career that would take him to diplomatic posts in Iran, Qatar, Egypt, Lebanon, and Iraq. Ambassador Crocker served as Ambassador to Syria, Kuwait, Lebanon, Pakistan, and, most recently, Iraq. Clearly, he has not shied away from a challenge. And he has excelled at every one.
“Earlier in his career, Ambassador Crocker served in Lebanon during the Israeli invasion of 1982 and the bombing of the U.S Marine barracks in 1983 — experiences from which he would later draw important lessons while serving in Iraq, particularly in 2007, when Shia militias and Sunni insurgents fed sectarian tensions and tribal feuds.
“Ambassador Crocker’s career spanned the entire Middle East and recent U.S. history. But he will undoubtedly be remembered most for his service in Iraq. Success in Iraq was never ensured, but it was made far more likely by the presence of Ryan Crocker. As Ambassador from March 2007 to February 2009, he was instrumental in carrying out the diplomatic tasks required to implement the counterinsurgency strategy, and to successfully defend that strategy before a skeptical Congress. He also carried out the negotiation that produced the Status of Forces Agreement, and he helped Iraqis through provincial elections. In all this, Ambassador Crocker forged a strong partnership with General David Petraeus that protected our nation’s interests in Iraq at a moment of peril
“Ryan Crocker has served his nation with honor, and our country owes him a debt. He is a diplomat’s diplomat, the best of the best, and a tribute to the State Department that he has served. He is also a very fine man, and I wish him well in retirement and the best of luck in the future. Ambassador Crocker may be leaving the stage, but his service to our nation will not be forgotten.”
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