The former US secretary of state Warren Christopher, who helped bring peace to Bosnia and negotiated for the release of American hostages in Iran, has died at the age of 85.
Late Friday, Christopher died at his home in Los Angeles of complications from bladder and kidney cancer.
As the top American statesman under Bill Clinton, Christopher was a behind-the-scenes negotiator. Often called the “stealth” secretary of state, Christopher was known for his understated, self-effacing manner. He had taken the job in January 1993 at the age of 68 and clocked up 704,487 air miles travelling the world.
He also tried to promote peace in the Middle East, tirelessly travelling to the region. Christopher made more than 20 trips to Syria alone in a futile effort to promote a settlement with Israel.
He was more successful in the negotiations that produced a settlement in 1995 for Bosnia, ending a war among Muslims, Serbs and Croats that claimed 260,000 lives and drove 1.8 million people from their homes. However, some critics said the administration had moved too slowly against the ethnic violence.
As a successful Los Angeles lawyer, Christopher had a seven-figure income and a beach house in fashionable Santa Barbara.
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