Richard Holbrooke Quotes (69 Quotes)

People give money all the time, and I commend them for it, but you have to go a long way to find a gift that meant as much difference as this one.

He said I will make available 34 million if those 34 million will make it possible for us to get the deal and reform the U.N.,

The director of national intelligence that the president proposed would indeed have no more authority than the current director of central intelligence has.

four years of inattention and neglect.

the U.N. inspectors had told the American military this was a major depot. ... I don't know what happened. I do know one thing -- in most administrations the buck stops in the Oval Office.

Assuming his death was of natural causes, justice has been served in its own particular way. He was a terrible man, a war criminal who started four wars.

These contacts were designed to find out if the people with whom the American officials met were in fact people who have the ability to influence and control all the people with the weapons.

Are we satisfied Of course not. There has been no change on the American position ... that Mr. Karadzic should present himself to The Hague for trial.

begin to redefine security as broader in the post-Cold War era than it used to be.

It was his ruthlessness and vision that helped to create Bosnia and Herzegovina,

The Security Council has taken a critical step toward helping Congo and the region come to the peace that it so desperately needs,

He faces two futures now -- to spend the rest of his life on the run or else he can defend himself in the International Court of The Hague.

All the real issues are finally being negotiated for the first time in 16 months.

It is a struggle of great historic consequence. Indonesia is one of the most important countries in the world, the world's third largest democracy,

It's hard exaggerate this. If it had been for Alija Izetbegovic, Bosnia would not exist today ... He was the visionary.

We showed our very strong support for Montenegro's integrity and its ability to run its own affairs,

As for the peace process, we will continue active negotiations in the next few days.

Iraq is not a member of the Security Council. Iraq does not have veto power over the selection. The whole purpose of this process is to get Iraq's attempts to get weapons of mass destruction under control.

Ultimately the decision as to what happens will be made by the decisions and actions of the Yugoslav leadership. They have the power to stop this tragedy. They have the power to take action to reverse it.

It is essential that the foreign forces who have invaded and occupy large parts of the Congo halt their offensive action,

I think it's very important for all Americans, whether they opposed the war or supported to it, whether they are liberals or conservatives, Republicans, Democrat or independents, to be able to say with pride we won -- to embrace the victory -- even as we begin to discuss the very difficult decisions that lie ahead,

They're loaded for bear. They're all expecting tough negotiations. They talk peace, but they don't show the slightest readiness for compromise. I suppose you could say that's to be expected on the eve of talks like this, but we're really hunkering down.

I think this is a ridiculous outcome, ... These people are innocent and they should be freed immediately. They are not spies.

We are where we were earlier in the day, we're where we were yesterday,

On Monday, NATO will meet to authorize action.

I'm passionate about this. He's probably the most tested person in the world. Everywhere he travels he gets tested, preferably with the Minister of Health

I'm sorry I'm unable to go into any details at all-- you'll understand why, ... I can only say that we remain on an intense effort to find a peaceful and satisfactory outcome to what can only be called an emergency while in another part of Europe -- Brussels -- NATO continues to move in a very different form.

This place has been a mess for a long time, but a different kind of mess. The war was messy, the decade that preceded the war was messy, the history back to 1912 was messy ... and the task is immense,

This is literally the first time in five years of them acknowledging anything that Clinton did. Until now the U.S. has been so completely withdrawn that we have lost a lot of time.

Asked on Larry King Live ... I think that's a good idea, Larry. I know that your program is watched carefully in Belgrade, probably the most watched program available to the leadership in Belgrade, and I hope they hear your suggestion and respond positively to it.

The Indonesian military is still paying these people, still encouraging them, ... These are real thugs, and they have to be dealt with.

It was a mistake to bring this kind of resolution to the floor in the middle of a world crisis.

I know that the Germans are very unhappy about these withdrawals. The Koreans are going to be equally unhappy. How can we withdraw troops from Korea while engaged in a delicate negotiation with the North Koreans And there's a country that really does have weapons of mass destruction.

Many problems remain, and sometimes forging a peace is more difficult than winning a war, ... KFOR is here to create a security environment in which deep, dividing differences between Serbs and Albanians can be ironed out in a nonviolent way.

There is no question in my mind that this will weaken our national security. I was ambassador to Germany. I know that the Germans are very unhappy about these withdrawals. The Koreans are going to be equally unhappy.

This tragedy in Kosovo has been a noble undertaking, ... Many foreigners, many Americans have said to me, 'Why is the United States bothering' The answer is because we could make a difference and tried to make a difference.

That is why we are here today, to continue the progress,

We are very close to a resumption of hostilities and the outbreak of a new round of fighting, which, if it does take place, immediately constitutes the largest war on the African continent.

I want to point out in the clearest possible terms that long-term peace and stability in the Balkans will not be possible as long as the current leadership in Belgrade is in power. And those people who have been indicted also should be brought to justice.

Does the Internet pose a danger in developing countries

We hope to bring the parties back to the negotiating table, ... but the hope to avoid war is very small.

We don't want this in any way to affect our mission, ... I think you are going to see the international community prepare for a very strong and swift response against those responsible, and we all know who they are.

It is enshrined in the Dayton Peace Accords, but he never intended to comply with it, ... He never imagined he would end up where he is today.

We would view with the greatest possible concern any such event, ... It would do Indonesia immense, perhaps irreparable damage.

We face a moment of extreme danger, and if it deteriorates any further, if it spreads across the border, we could have that general Balkan war that people have been worried about for so long.

we are on the brink of military action.

If women in the developing world do not have equal rights, they will not have equal health, ... It is as simple as that the empowerment of women is not a politically-correct clich, but a living, essential goal for everyone.

It's a signal to the Palestinians that it's time to get back to talking to Israel, rather than try to isolate Israel by diplomatic means while the West Bank is aflame.

We are at the brink...time is very short.

the grave situation we are facing.