US | Afghanistan war Holbrooke's Last Words: End Afghanistan War Veteran diplomat made plea for peace on his way to surgery By Rob Quinn Posted Dec 14, 2010 2:40 AM CST Updated Dec 14, 2010 6:42 AM CST Copied Richard Holbrooke, 69, was the architect of the 1995 Bosnia peace plan. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq, File) Richard Holbrooke's dying wish was for an end to the war in Afghanistan, family members say. As he was heading into surgery in a Washington hospital, the late American special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan told his Pakistani surgeon, "You've got to stop this war in Afghanistan," relatives tell the Washington Post. The 69-year-old diplomat died of complications from a 21-hour operation to repair a torn aorta. Click for more on Holbrooke. Read These Next An Amazon email goof dropped the bad news early. UPS workers are taking another hit. Bari Weiss to CBS News staff: Without a pivot, 'we are toast.' She takes over a religious role held by men for a millennia. Report an error