BOLTON

WASHINGTON (Reuters):

United States Ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, will step down in the coming days, the White House announced yesterday, unable to overcome Democratic Senate opposition.

Bolton's attempt to hang on to his job, already tenuous, became even more problematic after Democrats who had blocked his nomination, won control of the Senate in November elections.

President George W. Bush appointed Bolton largely because of a commitment to reform the world body. But Bolton's outspokenness and prickly manner often angered the diplomatic community and some of his fellow U.N. ambassadors at times found him difficult to work with.

Deep regret

Bush said "it is with deep regret" that he accepted Bolton's decision to leave the U.N. post when the current session of the U.S. Congress ends, possibly at the end of the week.

"I am deeply disappointed that a handful of United States senators prevented Ambassador Bolton from receiving the up or down vote he deserved in the Senate," Bush said.

No other option

While there was much speculation in Washington that Bush might give Bolton another position that did not require Senate confirm-ation, Bolton's departure letter to the President appeared to close the door on that option.

"After careful consider-ation, I have concluded that my service in your administration should end when the current recess appointment expires," Bolton wrote.

"That's pretty unam-biguous," said White House spokesman Tony Snow.

Bush had bypassed the Senate in August 2005 by appointing Bolton to the position when the lawmakers were in recess, avoiding the confirmation process and angering senators concerned that Bolton had a temper and intimidated intel-ligence analysts to support his hawkish views while at the State Department.