Gonzales takes blame for prosecutor gaffe

DETROIT, May 9 (UPI) -- U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has accepted full responsibility for how the firings of eight federal prosecutors has been handled.

Speaking at a Detroit Economic Club luncheon Tuesday, Gonzales admitted he could have handled the situation better and the entire incident had been a learning experience for him, The Detroit Free Press reported.

"I should have done a better job in supervising the people who handled the situation," the attorney general said.

Allegations he forced the resignations of the prosecutors was politically motivated arose shortly after the federal workers left their posts earlier this year.

While in Detroit, Gonzales also met with several Arab-American leaders to discuss civil rights issues. The private meeting reportedly focused on a government program that requires Muslim and Arab immigrants to undergo official registration.

American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee official Imad Hamad told the newspaper that the meeting went well and Gonzales was open to hearing their arguments.