WASHINGTON (AP) -– President Barack Obama is losing his special envoy to the Mideast just as the administration is showing a renewed focus on the long-troubled region.

George Mitchell, who helped broker peace in Northern Ireland, announced Friday he is stepping down after fruitless attempts at rekindling Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
Obama, accepting the resignation, called Mitchell ""a tireless advocate for peace.""
Mitchell's departure comes as Obama prepares for a flurry of activity on the Middle East, which has seen popular uprisings sprout in several countries but little movement in the effort to find a peaceful settlement between Israel and the Palestinians. That peace process has been moribund since last fall and further complicated by an agreement between Palestinian factions to share power.
Obama plans to deliver a speech next Thursday at the State Department about his administration's views on developments in the region. The next day — Mitchell's last on the job — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit Washington.
Obama also will play host to Jordan's King Abdullah II on Tuesday. And the White House was looking to schedule a speech by Obama to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the country's largest pro-Israel lobby, before he leaves for Europe May 22, officials said.
White House spokesman Jay Carney said the administration remains focused on reviving Middle East peace negotiations.
""The president's commitment remains as firm as it was when he took office,"" Carney said. ""This is a hard issue, an extraordinarily hard issue.""
David Hale, Mitchell's deputy, will serve as acting envoy, Obama said in a statement.
Mitchell wrote a two-paragraph letter to Obama saying he took the diplomatic job intending to only serve two years.