US ambassador to Qatar steps down

The US Ambassador to Qatar, Dana Smith, will be leaving the Gulf state when her three-year term comes to an end at the end of the month, she announced on Twitter.

Smith, a career diplomat who was appointed to the post by former US President Barack Obama, wrote on Twitter: This month, I end my 3 years as U.S. Ambassador to #Qatar. It has been the greatest honor of my life and I’ll miss this great country.”

1/2 This month, I end my 3 years as U.S. Ambassador to #Qatar. It has been the greatest honor of my life and I'll miss this great country.

— Ambassador Timmy Davis (@USAmbQatar) June 13, 2017

“Ambassador Dana Smith’s assignment as Ambassador comes to an end this month and she will depart Qatar later this month as part of the normal rotation of career diplomats throughout the world,” a State Department official said in an email to The Hill.

The ambassador has previous criticised US President Donald Trump’s administration’s policies, tweeting: “Increasingly difficult to wake up overseas to news from home, knowing I will spend today explaining our democracy and institutions.”

Increasingly difficult to wake up overseas to news from home, knowing I will spend today explaining our democracy and institutions.

— Ambassador Timmy Davis (@USAmbQatar) May 10, 2017

More recently she tweeted support to Qatar and its counter-terrorism measures after Trump’s comments implied he supported a Saudi-led boycott of Doha.