U.S. diplomat Holbrooke remains in critical condition, undergoes additional procedure

[News_Editor]

U.S. diplomat Holbrooke remains in critical condition, undergoes additional procedure

2010-12-13 09:12:54 GMT+7 (ICT)

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) -- U.S. Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, the president's special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, remained in a critical condition on Sunday as he underwent an additional procedure.

Holbrooke, 69, was rushed to George Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.C. on Friday after he collapsed on the seventh floor of the U.S. State Department building. He underwent surgery on Saturday to repair a tear in his aorta and has since remained in a critical condition.

On Sunday, Holbrooke underwent an additional procedure to improve circulation following Saturday's surgery. "He is surrounded by his family, friends, colleagues and staff," said Philip J. Crowley, a spokesman for the U.S. State Department.

Earlier media reports had claimed that Holbrooke's condition had been upgraded from 'critical' to 'stable', but Crowley said the diplomat is still in a critical condition.

On Saturday, several senior U.S. officials visited Holbrooke in hospital. Among those were U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) Admiral Michael Mullen and U.S. National Security Advisor Thomas Donilon.

"Please keep in your thoughts and prayers Ambassador Richard Holbrooke," Mullen wrote on his Twitter page on Sunday, praising Holbrooke as a 'true American patriot.'

Also on Sunday, Holbrooke's wife, Kati Marton, received calls from Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari. "His family is grateful for the outpouring of support and prayers coming in from his many friends, colleagues and leaders around the world," Crowley said.

On Saturday, President Barack Obama spoke with Marton and told her that he and First Lady Michelle Obama are praying for her husband. "Richard Holbrooke is a towering figure in American foreign policy, a critical member of my Afghanistan and Pakistan team, and a tireless public servant who has won the admiration of the American people and people around the world," Obama said after the call.

Holbrooke has served as President Barack Obama's special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan since January 2009. Before that, the veteran diplomat served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations between August 1999 and January 2001 under President Bill Clinton.

He also served in other capacities, but he is best known for helping broker the 1995 accord that ended the Balkans war.

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