George Mitchell resigns as US Mideast envoy

THE Obama administration’s special Mideast envoy, former Senator George Mitchell, is resigning after more than two largely fruitless years of trying to press Israel and the Palestinians into peace talks, US officials said yesterday.

There are no imminent plans to announce a replacement for Mitchell, the officials said, although his staff is expected to remain in place at least temporarily.

Mitchell’s resignation comes at a critical time for the Middle East, which is embroiled in turmoil, and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, which has been moribund since last September and is now further complicated by an agreement between Palestinian factions to share power.