American Diplomat Richard Holbrooke Dies at 69

Richard Holbrooke, special U.S. Special Representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan, has died.

On Friday, Holbrooke suffered a torn aorta and underwent more than 20 hours of surgery to repair damage to his heart. On Monday evening, President Barack Obama praised Holbrooke's work for the country and called him a "tough son of a gun."

Previously, Holbrooke served as an ambassador to the United Nations and as chief negotiator during the Dayton Peace Accords, meetings which ended the brutal war in Bosnia. His service career spanned more than 45 years and was reportedly putting the "finishing touches" on a major report assessment of American military and diplomatic efforts in Afghanistan.

Holbrooke is survived by his wife, Kati Marton, two sons and two stepchildren.