Holbrooke's Last Words On Afghanistan Downplayed As Joking Exchange By Obama Administration

The Huffington Post - The Obama administration is trying to dismiss the reported last words of veteran diplomat Richard Holbrooke, its point person on Afghanistan and Pakistan who passed away this week, as a joke.

Administration officials said Tuesday that Holbrooke's final words, "You've got to stop this war in Afghanistan," were part of a jovial back-and-forth with the medical staff.

"At one point, the medical team said, 'You've got to relax,'" State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters on Tuesday, relaying what he said he had heard from people who were in the room with Holbrooke at George Washington University Hospital. "And Richard said, 'I can't relax, I'm worrying about Afghanistan and Pakistan.' After some additional exchanges ... finally [Holbrooke's surgeon] said, 'Tell you what, we'll try to fix this challenge while you're in surgery.' And [Holbrooke] said, 'Yeah, see if you can take care of that,' including ending the war." Read more.

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