Posted on 12/13/2010 4:59:54 PM PST by Ravnagora
ABC News has learned that Richard Holbrooke, the US Special Representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan, has died.
On Friday, Holbrooke was rushed to the hospital with a torn aorta. He went through more than 20 hours of surgery. Earlier this evening, speaking at the US State Department, President Obama sang Holbrooke's praises and called him "a tough son of a gun."
Holbrooke, 69, was a former ambassador to the United Nations and served as chief negotiator at the Dayton Peace Accords, which ended the war in Bosnia.
The New Yorker's George Packer wrote a nice story about Holbrooke last year, which you can read HERE.
Ritter was weird, possible sexual problems, and apparently bought off by someone associated with Hussein.
Holbrooke was strong, determined, brave and pretty good for a State Dept. professional leader. However, he carried out flawed policies - Vietnam peace talks; Kosovo (if it blows up, you’ll know that Clinton failed); Afghanistan - a toss-up so far but he wasn’t liked by many in the field.
Still, a good man. RIP.
Thanks — but I was referring to John Ritter and wondering why he died so quickly while Holbrook lingered so long.
If you want to be taken seriously you need to provide additional credible information.
Richard Armitage.
Uh...were you thinking of Scott Ritter?!
I join in prayer for his family and loved ones as they deal with his homegoing, God’s peace and guidance.
No. I as wondering if anyone knew why Holbrook lasted so much longer than John Ritter.
As it is, it little more than a reflection of the nations that are represented there; dictatorships, monarchies and limited democracies.
My Mom had an aortic aneurysm detected and repaired in two complex procedures. The surgeons would not admit it outright, but we pieced together the fact that they experienced a problem controlling her oxygen during the procedure. She had stroke-like symptoms, but actually “weaker” brain cells died from lack of oxygen in her brain, which is not considered a stroke. Perhaps something similar happened to your Dad.
Milan Panic, the former prime minister of Yugoslavia, told me a story about Holbrooke several years ago.
Panic was a Clinton supporter during the 1990s but was strongly opposed to taking action in Kosovo. He called Clinton to say the Serbians were not committing genocide in Kosovo but was referred to Holbrooke instead. When Panic explained what was really happening in Kosovo, Holbrooke hung up on him.
Turns out Panic was right and Clinton and Holbrooke were wrong about Kosovo.
I heard the same thing said on the news..He had a terrible temper but he will be a great loss because of his great understanding of Afghanistan and its complexities.
He has been a devoted servant of our nation..love em or not.
Rest in peace.
Don't worry, this Serbian Jew won't....!!!
I always wanted to write this..."Neka mu je teška crna zemlja...AMEN...!!!"
SHALOM
They have my prayers.
A behind the scenes giant for our country. Rest in peace.
Not true. The man was wrong time and again on Astan and Pak - Terribly short sighted and not a clue to the understand / need for kinetic solutions when called for - He complicated things terribly for our warriors down range (needlessly so).
May his work rest in peace.
If you believe that Islam is the biggest danger to our civilization, then Holbrooke was Islam’s most important enabler. The architect of two new Muslim nations in Europe who stabbed the Serbs in the back.
The USA had a great opportunity to join with Orthodox Serbia and Russia in the early 1990s to slaughter Albanians and put the prosperous Croats and Slovenes back into Yugoslavia under our and Russians allies, the Serbs. No other alignment works, for 900 years.
Holbrooke screwed up our hopes of working with a non-Communism Russia. Now Russia has a dictator, the Muslims have one-third of Yugoslavia and we have a Muslim American president.
Holbrooke was either ignorant of the Balkans or was working against the USA or both.
I agree. Love him or hate him, he was a brilliant negotiator.
My prayers are with his family. Rest in peace Mr. Holbrook.
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