US Mideast peace envoy throws in the towel

Mitchell's departure comes ahead of US President Barack
Obama's expected speech laying out his new Middle East strategy and a visit to
the White House by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on May 20.
There are no imminent plans to announce a replacement for
Mitchell, Obama administration officials said, although his staff is expected
to remain in place at least temporarily.
Mitchell, 77, a former US senator who helped broker the
Northern Ireland peace deal, was one of the first members of Obama's foreign
policy team to be announced and has shuttled extensively between Washington and
Middle East capitals trying to set up new negotiations.
Direct peace talks resumed briefly last year but broke down
over Jewish settlement construction on occupied land.
Faced with a deadlock, the United States in December
scrapped efforts to relaunch direct peace talks and Mitchell has not visited
the region since then.