Tony Blair Resigns as Middle East Peace Envoy

Associated Press reports that Tony Blair has resigned as envoy for the Quartet of Middle East peace negotiators after nearly eight years in the job. Officials in Jerusalem told the AP that the former British prime minister had written a letter to United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon to confirm his resignation. The quartet consists of the UN, the EU, Russia and the US. Blair took the post in 2007 with great promise, put in charge of helping develop the Palestinian economy and institutions. A US-led push to revive the Middle East peace process collapsed last year. There have long been concerns about a potential for a conflict between Blair’s role in peace negotiations in the Middle East and his business interests, since he advises a number of foreign governments.