Richard Holbrooke, United States’ special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, was in critical condition on Saturday after doctors performed surgery to repair a tear in his aorta, the US State Department said.
Holbrooke fell ill at the State Department on Friday and was admitted to nearby George Washington University hospital, said a statement issued by the department.
“He is in critical condition and has been joined by his family,” the statement added.
The 69-year-old veteran US diplomat has been a key player in Obama’s efforts to turn around the 9-year-old war in Afghanistan.
Holbrooke’s most notable achievement has been bringing all sides in the Bosnia conflict to the negotiating table at an air base in Dayton, Ohio. The resulting 1995 Dayton accords ended the conflict.
As special envoy, Holbrooke sought to allay concerns in the US Congress over the course of the war. During congressional testimony on July 28, he conceded that fighting a resurgent Taliban and helping to rebuild Afghanistan were massive tasks. But he repeatedly defended the Obama administration’s strategy. He called the Afghanistan mission “the most difficult job I’ve had in my career.”
Violence in Afghanistan has soared to its highest levels since the Taliban were ousted by the US forces in 2001.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 12th, 2010.
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