USA: George Bush defends the dismissal of eight US attorneys

In an effort to fight off accustions that eight attorneys were pushed out for political reasons, the White House offered to make thousands of documents available to a Congressional Committee. Recent disclosures about the firings have prompted calls for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to resign. The White House offered to make thousands of documents available to a Congressional committee but vowed on Tuesday (March 20) to oppose subpoenas of any White House officials in an ongoing row over the firings of eight U.S. attorneys whom opposition lawmakers say were pushed out for political reasons. U.S. President George W. Bush defended the dismissals, saying they were political appointees who had served their 4-year terms and that it was 'natural' to consider whether or not to replace them at the end of his first term. "The Justice Department, with the approval of the White House, believed new leadership in these positions would better serve the country," Bush told reporters at the White House. "The announcement of this decision and the subsequent explanation of these changes has been confusing and, in some cases, incomplete. Neither the Attorney General nor I approve of how these explanations were handled. We're determined to correct the problem," added the president. Recent disclosures about the firings of eight U.S. attorneys has ignited a firestorm over whether the prosecutors were pushed out for political reasons and prompted calls for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to resign. The White House earlier on Tuesday offered to make Rove available to congressional investigators probing the firings but rejected Democratic demands he testify under oath.

ITN Source | March 21, 2007

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