US mourns Holbrooke, the 'warrior for peace'

WASHINGTON: Top US officials mourned the death Monday of special envoy for Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke, credited with saving tens of thousands of lives, but who died before completing his last tough mission.

President Barack Obama paid tribute to the 69-year-old veteran diplomat calling him "a true giant of American foreign policy who has made America stronger, safer, and more respected.

"Tonight, there are millions of people around the world whose lives have been saved and enriched by his work," the US leader, who tapped Holbrooke as his special envoy in 2009, said in a statement.

"He was a truly unique figure who will be remembered for his tireless diplomacy, love of country, and pursuit of peace."

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who officially announced that Holbrooke had passed away despite undergoing surgery for a torn aorta after falling ill Friday, spoke of a "sad day" for her and for the United States.

"Tonight America has lost one of its fiercest champions and most dedicated public servants," Clinton said in an emotional statement.

"Richard Holbrooke served the country he loved for nearly half a century, representing the United States in far-flung war-zones and high-level peace talks, always with distinctive brilliance and unmatched determination."

Holbrooke was best known for forging the 1995 Dayton peace accords which ended the three-year war in Bosnia, but his diplomatic career spanned five decades stretching back to the dark days of the Vietnam war.

"From his early days in Vietnam to his historic role bringing peace to the Balkans to his last mission in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard helped shape our history, manage our perilous present, and secure our future," Clinton said.

"He was the consummate diplomat, able to stare down dictators and stand up for America's interests and values even under the most difficult circumstances.

"From Southeast Asia to post-Cold War Europe and around the globe, people have a better chance of a peaceful future because of Richard's lifetime of service," she said.

Senator John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations commitee, said the news of Holbrooke's death was "incomprehensible" as he was a man in a "perpetual state of motion."

"He was always a man on a mission, the toughest mission, and that mission was waging peace through tough as nails, never quit diplomacy -- and Richard's life's work saved tens of thousands of lives," Kerry said in a statement.

"It is almost a bittersweet bookend that a career of public diplomacy that began trying to save a war gone wrong, now ends with a valiant effort to keep another war from going wrong."

Kerry added: "Wherever chaos and violence threatened American interests and human lives for nearly a half century, wherever there was a need for courage and insight, Richard Holbrooke showed up for duty.

"He will always be remembered as a warrior for peace."

Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs committee, called Holbrooke "a dynamic force in American diplomacy for more than five decades. His stellar service is deeply appreciated and held in the highest esteem."

Jamie Rubin, a former State Department spokesman under president Bill Clinton and colleague of Holbrooke, told CNN the veteran diplomat had "helped keep a moral compass for American foreign policy."