WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Richard Holbrooke, the veteran diplomat U.S. President Barack Obama tapped as his special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, was in critical condition on Saturday after surgery to repair a tear in his aorta, the State Department said.
The 69-year-old Holbrooke, who brokered the 1995 accord ending the Balkans war, has been a key player in Obama's efforts to turn around the faltering 9-year-old war in Afghanistan, where violence has surged and at least 477 U.S. soldiers have been killed this year alone.