Veteran U.S. diplomat Richard Holbrooke, President Barack Obama’s special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, is in critical condition after surgery today to repair a torn aorta. The 69-year-old reportedly fell ill Friday evening and was admitted to a nearby hospital. White House adviser David Axelrod confirmed that Holbrooke suffered an aortic bleed: “Many people would have succumbed to that but Richard is fighting through it.” [Reuters]
