Richard Holbrooke, American Diplomat, Dead at 69

Richard C. Holbrooke, US ambassador, died Monday evening at age 69. Kati Marton, his wife, and other family members were at his bedside.
Richard Holbrooke, American Diplomat, Dead at 69
12/14/2010
Updated:
10/1/2015
<a><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/09/106519562.jpg" alt="Richard C. Holbrooke, US ambassador, has passed away at the age of 69. (Georges Gobet/AFP/Getty Images)" title="Richard C. Holbrooke, US ambassador, has passed away at the age of 69. (Georges Gobet/AFP/Getty Images)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-1810929"/></a>
Richard C. Holbrooke, US ambassador, has passed away at the age of 69. (Georges Gobet/AFP/Getty Images)
Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke died Monday evening at age 69. He was surrounded by his family at the time of his death, including his wife Kati Marton, his sons David and Anthony, his stepchildren Elizabeth and Chris Jennings, and his daughter-in-law Sarah.

In an official State Department statement, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said America had “lost one of its fiercest champions and most dedicated public servants” with Mr. Holbrooke’s passing.

Mr. Holbrooke was a diplomat for almost five decades in countries such as Vietnam. He played a pivotal diplomatic role in a peace agreement in the Balkans. His final assignment was as the diplomatic point man in Afghanistan and Pakistan for the Obama administration.

“This is a sad day for me, for the State Department, and for the United States of America,” said Secretary Clinton in her official statement.

On Saturday, President Obama commented in a statement on the White House website about Mr. Holbrooke, calling him “a towering figure in American foreign policy, a critical member of my Afghanistan and Pakistan team.”

The President added that many individuals from his administration had been spending time with Mr. Holbrooke while he was in George Washington University Hospital, recovering from surgery after falling ill.