US President George W Bush is set to nominate retired federal judge Michael Mukasey to replace outgoing Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, media reported Monday.

Gonzales announced his resignation last month, but will officially step down from his post on Monday. He was heavily criticized for allegedly firing eight US attorneys for political reasons and then lied about it, when confronted with an inquiry.

Numerous politicians criticized Gonzales for his contradictory statements and for alleged involvement in a “terrorist surveillance program,” under which intelligence services monitored phone calls and other communications means of US citizens allegedly linked with terrorist organizations.

Mukasey was a judged of the New York federal district court, presiding over several terror cases. In 1995 he presided over the criminal prosecution of Omar Abdel Rahman, the so-called “blind sheikh” and El Sayyid Nosair. Both were sentenced to life in prison by Mukasey for a plot to blow up the United Nations building and other New York landmarks.

He also heard the trial of Jose Padilla, a US citizen accused of supporting terrorism and planning to kill people in an overseas jihad.

“The attorney general has an especially vital role to play in a time of war,” Bush said. “Judge Mukasey brings impressive credentials to this task.”

The 66-year-old retired judge has been described as a conservative lawmaker who will probably comply with the standards imposed by the Senate, where Democrats are expected to oppose the nomination of a person considered to be closely tied with the White House.

“Judge Mukasey's record of rulings in national security cases and experience as a criminal prosecutor make him exceptionally qualified to serve as our nation's chief law enforcement officer,” the White House was quoted as saying by the Washington Post.

If his nomination is approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Democrat-controlled Senate would have to confirm him as Gonzales’s successor.