The US ambassador to Qatar said Tuesday she is resigning her post in Doha amid the worst diplomatic crisis involving Washington’s Persian Gulf allies in years.

“This month, I end my 3 years as US Ambassador to #Qatar. It has been the greatest honor of my life and I’ll miss this great country,” Dana Shell Smith tweeted Tuesday.

Shell Smith did not explain why she was stepping down, if she will remain in the diplomatic service or who would replace her, Agence France-Presse reported.

Many US ambassadors leave their posts after serving about three years.

But Shell Smith previously appeared to slam the Trump administration after the president sacked FBI Director James Comey.

“Increasingly difficult to wake up overseas to news from home, knowing I will spend today explaining our democracy and institutions,” she tweeted on May 9.

Last week, Trump lashed out at Qatar, demanding that it stop funding terrorism shortly after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urged other Gulf nations to end their blockade of the tiny, oil-rich emirate.

“The nation of Qatar, unfortunately, has been a funder of terrorism at a very high level. The time has come to call on Qatar to end its funding,” Trump said last week.

Qatar strongly rejects the allegations.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain severed diplomatic and economic ties with ­Qatar over longstanding allegations that the country was courting Iran and fomenting instability in the ­region.

Qatar is home to a vital US military outpost, the Al-Udeid Air Base, which houses 10,000 troops.

The Pentagon has said that while the blockade was not affecting current operations against ISIS, it was “hindering” the ability to plan for the long term.

Qatar paid $2.5 million to hire a lobbying firm run by former Attorney General John Ashcroft to audit its efforts at stopping terrorism funding, CBS News reported.

With Post wires </s> (CNN) Retired General Anthony Zinni, the Trump administration's envoy working to resolve the Gulf region's diplomatic dispute, has resigned from his role at the State Department.

Two State Department officials told CNN that Zinni left because he felt he had reached a dead-end, believing there was no forward movement on resolving the stalemate between Qatar and its Gulf neighbors. The sources claim Zinni did not depart because of bad blood with other administration officials. Zinni confirmed in an email to CNN that the sources' characterizations of his departure were correct.

"I did not think my services were needed," he said.

Gulf nations, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Bahrain and Yemen, severed ties with Qatar in 2017 over its alleged support for terrorist organizations such as the Muslim Brotherhood. Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson announced in early August 2017 that Zinni would travel to the region, telling the press that the US was "committed to see this disagreement resolved, restore Gulf unity, because we think it's important to the long-term effort to defeat terrorism in the region."

Read More </s> Former Marine general quits post as envoy on Qatar dispute

WASHINGTON (AP) — A State Department spokesman says a retired Marine general has quit his post as an envoy seeking to resolve a dispute with Qatar.

Spokesman Robert Palladino said Tuesday that the Trump administration will continue to pursue the work of Anthony Zinni, a former commander of U.S. Central Command who retired from the Marine Corps in 2000.

Palladino expressed thanks for Zinni's work, which included discussing with regional leaders the idea of a NATO-like group called the Middle East Strategic Alliance. CBS News quoted Zinni as saying he resigned after realizing he could not help resolve the dispute between Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is on a tour of Middle East capitals that is scheduled to include a stop in Qatar. </s> Retired Marine Corps Gen. Anthony Zinni, who President Donald Trump picked as a special envoy to handle issues with Qatar, has resigned because he couldn't find a solution to the problem.

He is the latest four-star general to leave the administration, following chief of staff John Kelly and Defense Secretary James Mattis.

Zinni told CBS News that he could not find a solution to the issues surrounding Qatar 'because of the unwillingness of the regional leaders to agree to a viable mediation effort that we offered to conduct or assist in implementing.'

The retired four-star general took on the assignment at the request of then-Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson - both of whom have since left the administration.

When asked whether his resignation was connected to Mattis' resignation, Zinni told the military news website that he 'was disappointed by what happened, but it didn't really affect [my] resignation.'

'Jim Mattis is a great friend of mine and he was the right guy for the job,' Zinni said, adding that, although Mattis first approached him to take the envoy role, Zinni had been getting 'plenty of support from [Secretary of State] Mike Pompeo and [National Security Advisor] John Bolton.'

A senior State Department official described Zinni's departure to CBS as a 'soft resignation.'

The end of Mattis' tenure in the Trump administration came when the Pentagon chief left in protest after the president announced he was pulling out U.S. troops from Syria, which the two men disagreed about.

Mattis offered a resignation letter on December 20 that was seen as a dig at his commander-in-chief.

'Because you have the right to a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours on these and other subjects,' Mattis wrote in his letter, 'I believe it is right for me to step down from my position.'

And he ensured it would be seen. He ordered aides to distribute 50 copies of it.

The move - and the media coverage of his letter - pushed him out the door even faster.

A scant three days later, on Dec. 23, Trump announced Mattis was leaving his administration on January 1 amid his anger at how the resignation letter was received.

Zinni, a former Middle East envoy, was brought in to try and manage the diplomatic crisis surrounding Qatar.

A Saudi Arabia-led coalition ended diplomatic relations with Qatar and claimed the nation had violated a 2014 agreement with the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

The group started an international crisis when it blocked trade to Qatar and accused the country of aiding terrorists, which Qatar has denied. </s> Retired general Anthony Zinni, seen in this 2006 picture, resigned as the US administration's envoy to solve the Gulf crisis saying regional leaders were unwilling to "agree to a viable mediation effort" (AFP Photo/DAVID MCNEW)

Amman (AFP) - A US envoy tasked with trying to solve the dispute between Qatar and a Saudi-led group of countries announced his resignation Tuesday, as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo toured the region.

Retired general Anthony Zinni told US news network CBS he had quit "because of the unwillingness of the regional leaders to agree to a viable mediation effort that we offered to conduct".

His resignation was confirmed by State Department spokesman Robert Palladino.

"General Zinni's mission was to help introduce the concept of the Middle East Strategic Alliance and start a conversation with leaders in the region," Palladino told AFP.

"This is happening and well underway thanks to his efforts. The administration... will carry the mission forward," Palladino said in Amman where he accompanied Pompeo on the first leg of his regional tour.

The Middle East Strategic Alliance (MESA) is a NATO-style security pact which Zinni had been asked to introduce to regional leaders.

Zinni, according to CBS, felt there was no need for his involvement in MESA since other members of the US administration of President Donald Trump were already involved in implementing it.

Zinni was appointed by former secretary of state Rex Tillerson in August 2017, two months after the dispute between Qatar and the Saudi-led bloc erupted.

On June 5 of that year, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt cut ties with key US ally Qatar, accusing it of supporting "terrorist groups" and advocating improved ties with their rival Iran.

Qatar, home to a huge US air base, has denied the claims.

Sustaining a regional coalition to counter Iran, is a major focus of Pompeo's tour of eight Arab capitals in as many days.

The trip will include stops in the six countries that form the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) -- Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman -- as well as Egypt and possibly Iraq.

State Department officials have said Pompeo hopes his trip will fortify the GCC which has been weakened by the Gulf diplomatic crisis, and organise a summit of its leaders in the United States later this year.

Zinni once commanded US forces in the Middle East. After the military he served as special envoy to Israel and the Palestinian Authority. </s> A US envoy tasked with resolving the diplomatic crisis between Qatar and its Gulf Arab neighbours has quit his post citing "unwillingness" of regional leaders to engage in dialogue, according to CBS News.

The US-based broadcaster said on Tuesday that Anthony Zinni, a retired Marine general, resigned after realising he "could not help resolve" the 18-month-long row, in which four Arab countries cut diplomatic and transport ties with Qatar, after accusing it of supporting "terrorism".

The quartet – Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt – also imposed a land, sea and air blockade on the tiny Gulf state.

Zinni, a former commander of US Central Command, said he was stepping down because of the "unwillingness of regional leaders to agree to a viable mediation effort that we offered to conduct or assist in implementing".

A spokesman for the US State Department confirmed Zinni's resignation to The Associated Press news agency.

Robert Palladino said US President Donald Trump's administration will continue to pursue Zinni's work, which also included discussing with regional leaders the idea of a NATO-like group called the Middle East Strategic Alliance.

Zinni was appointed by former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in August 2017, two months after the dispute between Qatar and the Saudi-led bloc erupted.

His resignation comes as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo began a Middle East tour, that includes stops in the six countries that form the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), as well as Egypt and Jordan.

State Department officials have said Pompeo hopes his trip will fortify the GCC, which has been weakened by the Gulf crisis, and organise a summit of its leaders in the United States later this year.

Mediation efforts by Kuwait have also failed to end the crisis so far.

The boycotting states insist Qatar must meet a list of demands submitted to it at the start of the crisis, which include closing down the Al Jazeera Media Network, reducing ties with Iran, and closing a Turkish military base in Qatar.

Doha said the demands amounted to an unlawful intervention against its sovereignty.

In November, Saudi Arabia and Egypt said the blockade will continue and they were not willing to make "any concessions" towards Doha.

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has said that his country remained ready to hold talks to end the dispute.

"In the Gulf crisis our position remains unchanged - lifting the blockade and settling the differences via dialogue," he said in December.

Despite an initial disruption to its supply chains, Qatar has managed to weather the embargo by establishing new trade links, primarily with its ally Turkey, and injecting around $40bn from its ample foreign currency reserves into the economy. </s> The US ambassador to Panama has resigned, saying that he no longer felt able to serve President Donald Trump.

John Feeley, 56, a career diplomat and former Marine Corps helicopter pilot, announced his resignation in a letter to the state department.

"As a junior foreign service officer, I signed an oath to serve faithfully the president and his administration in an apolitical fashion, even when I might not agree with certain policies," he wrote, in a letter obtained by Reuters.

"My instructors made clear that if I believed I could not do that, I would be honor bound to resign. That time has come."

Mr Feeley becomes the first ambassador to resign over concerns about Mr Trump's leadership.

His resignation was made public hours after Mr Trump's comments on "s-------" nations were made public, but a senior state department official told The Telegraph that Mr Feeley's decision was made before the remarks.

“Ambassador Feeley informed leadership of his decision on December 27, 2017," the state department said.

The spokesman added that the deputy chief of mission, Roxanne Cabral, will assume leadership of the diplomatic mission until a new ambassador arrives.

The state department said that he "has informed the White House, the Department of State, and the Government of Panama of his decision to retire for personal reasons, as of March 9 of this year." </s> Anthony Zinni, a retired Marine Corps general and former head of U.S. Central Command who has been working as an envoy for the Trump administration to resolve a dispute with Qatar, has resigned from his position with the State Department. He is the latest four-star general to exit the administration.

Zinni resigned after realizing he could not help resolve the Qatar dispute "because of the unwillingness of the regional leaders to agree to a viable mediation effort that we offered to conduct or assist in implementing," he told CBS News. Zinni also felt there was no need for his involvement with the Middle East Strategic Alliance (MESA) concept — a NATO-style security alliance — that he was asked to introduce to regional leaders, since other members of the administration are carrying it forward.

A senior State Department official described Zinni's departure as a "soft resignation."

Zinni had originally agreed to work as a special adviser to the secretary of state on Middle East issues at the request of then-Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson — both of whom have since left the administration in the wake of significant policy differences with Mr. Trump.

Zinni later coordinated with former national security adviser H.R. McMaster and Trump son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, then later current national security adviser John Bolton. Zinni described his working relationship with them as "excellent," and the inter-agency cooperation on the issues he worked on "impressive."

Zinni also served as former President George W. Bush's special envoy to the Middle East.

— CBS News' Russell Midori contributed to this report </s> A US official who was in charge of Washington's efforts to resolve the 19-month long blockade of Qatar has quit his post, becoming the latest official to depart from President Donald Trump's resignation-plagued administration.

Anthony Zinni, a retired general and former head of US Central Command (CENTCOM), told US network CBS News he resigned when he realised he could not help resolve the Qatar crisis.

He said this was down to "the unwillingness of the regional leaders to agree to a viable mediation effort that we offered to conduct or assist in implementing".

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE and Egypt broke ties with Qatar in June 2017, in parallel with a media smear campaign, accusing Doha of supporting extremists and being too close to Iran, Riyadh's arch-rival.

After cutting off Qatar, Saudi Arabia and its allies imposed a land, sea and air blockade of the emirate and issued a list of 13 demands in order for it to be lifted.

The list of demands included shutting down media outlets Al Jazeera and London-based The New Arab, curbing relations with Iran and closing a Turkish military base in the emirate.

Qatar categorically denies the allegations and accuses the bloc of aiming to incite regime change and hijack its independent foreign policy.

Doha has repeatedly called for equal dialogue to resolve the crisis on condition its sovereignty is respected, but mediation efforts led by the US and Kuwait have failed with the anti-Qatar bloc sticking to its demands.

Zinni joins a long list of high-ranking and long-serving US officials who have been sacked or who willingly resigned from controversial President Donald Trump's team, often on account of his incoherent policy decisions but also following personal rows with the former real estate tycoon and reality TV celebrity.

Last month, US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis resigned in protest at Trump's decision to withdraw abruptly from Syria and abandoning US allies fighting the Islamic State group in the war-torn nation.

Zinni was appointed by Mattis as well as former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in 2017 to lead mediation efforts in the Gulf to resolve the crisis.

However, Tillerson himself was later sacked by Trump, partly for disagreeing with the president over the US position in the dispute.

Earlier in the crisis, Trump took sides and appeared to back the Saudi-lec bloc but was later pressured into taking the middle ground by the US military, given Qatar's strategic value in the region.

Zinni told CBS News he also felt there was no need for his involvement with the Middle East Strategic Alliance (MESA) concept - the so called Arab NATO - that he was asked to introduce to regional leaders, as other members of the administration are carrying it forward.

The resignation's timing coincides with a tour by US Secretary of State in the region, during which he is expected to raise the Qatar crisis as well as the Arab alliance conceived as a counterweight to Iran.

This article has been adapted from its original source.
Dana Shell Smith announces she is resigning as United States Ambassador to Qatar amid regional tensions over Qatar's alleged support for terrorist groups.