From DPA:  NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Tuesday paid tribute to the late US special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke, hailing his energy and diplomatic skill. …

"I extend my heartfelt condolences to his family, the US government and the American people. I pay tribute to his diplomatic skills, strategic vision and legendary determination," Rasmussen said in a statement released from NATO’s Brussels headquarters. …

Holbrooke "knew that history is unpredictable; that we sometimes have to defend our security by facing conflicts in distant places; and that the transatlantic alliance remains indispensable," Rasmussen said.  (photo: Reuters)

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