his sharp analysis was

admired. >> our correspondent is in washington. i asked her who was being treated. >> we heard from the u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton who said america had lost one of its fiercest champions. he was a constant of diplomat, someone who could stare down dictators and stand for american values and interests. she said this was a sad day for personally, to the state department, and america. she said richard holbrooke delivered almost 50 years of service and help shape the history and managed the present and secure the future. we heard from the former british prime minister tony blair called mr. holbrooke are remarkable man who had done lots

of work for a more peaceful world. >> what sort of legacy will he leave amongst the political community in washington? >> i think we heard the statement by mrs. clinton in particular. the legacy of his historic role that he played. she describe id the peace accors that ended the war in bosnia. he managed to bring warring leaders to the table. more recently, there was his role as president obama's envoy in afghanistan and pakistan. many will be asking the question who is to succeed him in the time when the u.s. is pushing to stabilize the situation in afghanistan and perhaps a transfer of more afghan troops forces involved in the fighting. >> i spoke earlier to the

pakistani ambassador to the united states to was a close friend of richard holbrooke and met with him a few days ago. >> we had breakfast on thursday. the day before he was admitted to hospital. we were very close. we spoke frequently. i will remember him as a great diplomat who was able to show, while being loyal to the u.s., he was there friend and wanted to do good by them and his country. >> if you do not mind me questioning from your twitter freed -- quoting from your twitter feed. you said you asked how long he planned to work and he said as long as i can make a difference. what do you think he meant? >> he always saw the problems he

tackle them something to solve. not as problems that could make him succeed without solving them. that is about bosnia. that is what he saw in pakistan and the problems relating to our region. he was willing to go to greater depth than others. richard holbrooke was never scared of taking a path that involved resistance. he tried to dissolve it and that would resolve the problem. he was a problem solver. sometimes, it took a lot of time to persuade everyone the solution he had in mind is the solution that should be acceptable to everyone. he took great attention to detail. when he started dealing with us, he started understanding what

the concerns of each individual, each institution in pakistan was. meeting with military leaders and parliament and political leaders to understand what makes pakistan take. he could make it better from the way he saw and pursue american interests in the process. he also at times of crisis was able to move the u.s. government into action for faster than anyone could. when the military went into swat and people were displaced. he took of their cause and he managed to get the resources that were necessary and he really showed great compassion and passion about it. >> the first half of next year, 2011 will be crucial in afghanistan. how much do you think the obama

administration has lost a crucial link in the war effort in that country? >> as a personal friend, someone -- this is a moment for us to mourn his death rather than focus on what will happen. afghanistan is going to continue to be there. the u.s. will have to find somebody else to do the job that richard holbrooke was doing and do it as well. it is a job and people need to find a way to bring stability and insurer withdrawal at some point in the future of american and nato forces from their. they will have to [unintelligible] there are a host of civilian problems from the reconstruction to getting an afghan police

force and national army up and going. in the case of pakistan, there is the issue of building trust between pakistan and the u.s. and getting over the mistrust our countries have towards one another. it is something that would require a level of engagement. i am not certain at this point who or how the u.s. government intends to replace what he brought to the table. >> just as a final thought from you. how would you sum up richard holbrooke in a sentence? >> he was a man of great passions and he was quite capable of being seen as very forceful. he was not a soft spoken diplomat all the time. he made it into an art form to

deliver the tough message in a tough manner. at the same time, he was an affable man who could joke and had a great sense of humor. and make others feel at ease. he tried very hard to show people that he was not just all ego but he was also someone who was concerned about their concerns. >> we have the former ambassador who spoke more to me earlier. >> richard holbrooke was my friend for 45 years. a colleague during much of that. and very close. i was in close touch with him in his most recent times in the government as ambassador to the un and now during pakistan and afghanistan. richard holbrooke was this generation's finest american diplomat. full of energy, deep moral

commitment, clear capacity to analyze international events, and a tremendous boldness. no obstacle was too great. he had a passion for the people who worked for him and for the issue to be touched. he felt people who -- particularly for people who were crushed by adversity. that is what impelled him and that -- made him a real humanitarian. >> many people have spoken of him as being a role model. in political circles. is that a fiercfair assessment? >> it would be hard to copy richard holbrooke, who had his own former of drive -- form of drive inside his sense of commitment. it would be tough to do that. he sets an example of public service for americans who look

at our responsibilities around the world. he sets an example of someone committed to protecting american interests for a better world order. he is a world model. i hope we will be -- he will be recognized as such by his countrymen and those who care for him. >> let's talk about his role as president obama's special envoy to afghanistan and pakistan. it is difficult to sum up in a few words. what does he bring to that role and what sort of setback will that be to the efforts in afghanistan? >> he brought to it apolitical conception. you had to deal with the war in afghanistan to which we have committed. you could not deal in an absence of reality and the facts of pakistan. he believed it was important to

forge a new relationship with pakistan, to turn that into a strategic relationship so pakistan could be part of getting a resolution in afghanistan. he recognized the important role that the indians played in stabilizing this region. it was that conception in addition to which he was able to mobilize and about enormous civilian resources to the conflict and to the legislation that produced extra aid and a desperately needed time for pakistan. he is the one who grabbed up the cause of pakistan's flood and made sure resources were poured in at that time. he was a force of nature. and the real foreign policy mind.

>> some trades there to richard holbrooke who died at the age of 69. there is more reaction on his death on the news website. including an assessment of how much his contribution will be missed at the state department. >> an american blogger who has followed his career spoke to me earlier. >> he was one of the democratic party is only major personalities who was so tenacious and results oriented in global justice issues. many times, this community is populated by people who have great goals but do not know how to get there. richard holbrooke almost had a nixonian obsession.

he knew how to deliver results. it leaves a hole in the results especially in the democratic party. he had this tenacity and his capability which peter galbraith and others have reference. it is -- while we are paying tribute to him today, this is not the kind of trivia that is being stated because we are -- he's substantively in the diplomatic corps, it is shocking he is gone. >> he was nominated to the nobel peace prize and was tipped to become secretary of state. a very skillful operator. >> he is a skillful operator.

he was head of a global business coalition that dealt with aids in africa. there is no one else like richard holbrooke. in government today. it is one of the weaknesses of the obama administration that just got weaker. >> this is "bbc news". richard holbrooke, the u.s. diplomat and special representative to afghanistan and pakistan has died in washington. he was 65. president obama's said the u.s. lost a true giant in american foreign policy and made ththat e the country safer and more respected. they are almost certain man who set off -- almost set off bombs in afghanistan was a swedish

national. he planned to targeted a railway station. the bomb he was wearing that needed to sin. >> the face of the swedish bomb plot. a man who had spent close to a decade living in britain. today, questions about what lay behind his attack. on saturday, a car registered to him exploded in stockholm. moments later, he was found dead following a second explosion. a suicide bomber but one who had failed to kill anyone else. police raided his house last night. his family was still living there. neighbors said they had not seen him for nearly a month. >> i was very shocked when i came home. they were very scared.

they could not go to sleep. >> when he tried to spread extremist views, they confronted him and he stormed out. they did not inform the police. >> we could not categorize him as someone who was harmful. it could have been his political views. should i have exposed him publicly and made him storm out? >> police are continuing here today. neighbors talk about an ordinary family man. the security services will be investigating how and when he might have been radicalized. what do we know about him? he was born in baghdad in 1991. in 1992, he moved to sweden

where he attended school. in 2000 when, he arrived in the u.k. to study at the university of bedfordshire and settled in with his family. moments to for his device exploded, al-abdaly said he was protesting cartoons made of the profit mahmoud. he apologized for misleading his family. he said i went to the middle east for jihad. prosecutors want to establish whether or not he was working alone. >> we should suppose that he had others behind him, if they are accomplices or have inspired him to it in some religious way or something else. >> he had expressed extremist views on his facebook page. aging hottest website posted an

unverified claims saying he had fulfilled a pledge made to iraq and a group linked to al qaeda. -- a j jihadis>> the military sn ivory coast continues. alassane ouattara and his rival are facing each other. >> government soldiers take up positions close to the hotel. alassane ouattara is recognized as president-elect but not today. their decision to move closer

to the protected hotel brought a standoff. both candidates have declared themselves the winner and set up parallel governments. >> the situation is set for country which has been plunged into a crisis situation. we thought with these elections, we would leave the crisis behind. it seems to be we have gone deeper into it. >> the e.u. along with others spend hundreds of millions of dollars providing security and funding for these elections. one of the world's most expensive ever held per voter. too much money to sit back and watch someone cling to power after the commission announced the opposition candidate was the winner. >> he has decided to adopt targeted restricted measures against those who are

obstructing peace and reconciliation and the outcome of the electoral process. >> these measures will include a vosisa van andban and freez. e. >> with little negotiation going on, it appears that the tension will not disappear quickly. >> hillary clinton has urged the haitian authorities to resolve the crisis. calm has come back to haiti following days of street protests. >> there are still many bumps in the world ahead. the political crisis is going nowhere fast. two weeks after the opposition

candidate joined forces to denounce a widespread voting fraud, the country remains in political limbo. authorities have offered a chance to appeal to avoid the violence. the electoral council has proposed a recount. if the gesture is not appreciated. >> in the objective [unintelligible] >> such deadlock has not pleased america's leaders. last week, the senator who oversees u.s. aid to haiti suggested stopping it until the crisis is resolved.

is an idea that is gaining momentum. >> this is a very strong signal we expect more and we are looking for more. >> with the authority still crippled by january's earthquake, the country is totally reliant on foreign aid. threats to turn off the taps will be taken seriously. resolving the political crisis is the first challenge. thousands have lost their homes in tehe quake are living in tent cities. the cholera outbreak has claimed lives. it needs a stable and viable government. >> richard holbrooke, special representative for afghanistan and pakistan has died.

he was 69. you are watching "bbc news". good night. >> hello and welcome. >> see the news unfold, get the top stories from around the globe and click to play video reports. go to bbc.com/news to experience the in-depth, expert reporting of "bbc world news" online. >> funding was made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation. the john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation. and union bank.

>> union bank has put its global expertise to work for a wide range of companies. what can we do for you? >> there is one stage that is the met and carnegie hall. >> o, that this too, too solid flesh -- >> it is the kennedy center. >> check, one, two. >> and a club in austin. >> it is closer than any seat in the house, no matter where you call home. >> the top of the world, and i'm there, i'm home. >> pbs -- the great american stage that fits in every living room. your support of pbs brings the arts home. >> "bbc world news" was presented by kcet, los angeles. presented by kcet, los angeles.