[EX-Gold Falcon]

Richard Holbrooke, the US envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, has been taken critically ill, the US state department says.

Mr Holbrooke, 69, was admitted to hospital on Friday and has undergone surgery to repair a tear in his aorta.

His family have joined him at his hospital bedside in Washington DC.

Mr Holbrooke is best known for brokering the Dayton peace accords in 1995, which ended the Bosnian war.

President Barack Obama named Mr Holbrooke as his special representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan in January 2009.

Since then, he has played a key role in defining the strategy for the Obama administration on one of its foreign policy priorities.

Mr Holbrooke was working at the State Department when he was taken ill.

In a brief statement released on Satuday, State Department spokesman PJ Crowley said: "This morning, doctors completed surgery to repair a tear in his aorta. He is in critical condition and has been joined by his family".

The rest of the story (basically a brief bio) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11858576

Better informed members then myself might have a better idea how his absence will affect the US and the Afghan/Pak region. However it did seem relevant enough to post.


T.