by Richard Holbrooke, the diplomat par excellence, died Monday at George Washington University Hospital in Washington. Among those to eulogize him was the President of the United States, Barack Obama, as follows:“For nearly 50 years, Richard served the country he loved with honor and distinction. He worked as a young foreign service officer during the Vietnam War and then supported the Paris peace talks, which ended that war. As a young assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, he helped normalize relations with China. As U.S. ambassador to Germany, he helped Europe emerge from a long Cold War and encouraged NATO to welcome new members. As assistant secretary of state for European and Canadian affairs, he was the tireless chief architect of the Dayton Accords that ended the war in Bosnia 15 years ago this week, saving countless lives. As ambassador to the United Nations, Richard helped break a political impasse and strengthen our nation’s relationship with the UN and elevated the cause of AIDS and Africa on the international agenda. And throughout his life, as a child of refugees, he devoted himself to the plight of people displaced around the world.”
