Reno regrets Elian's return

Now that Elian Gonzalez has returned to Cuba, U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno has admitted she harboured hope he would stay.

Reno told a news conference Thursday she had hoped right to the end that Elian's father, Juan Miguel Gonzalez, would choose to remain in the United States.

Seven months ago, six-year-old Elian was plucked from the ocean off the Florida coast after his mother and 10 other Cubans drowned in a desperate bid to reach the U.S.

Elian's relatives in Miami embarked on a campaign to keep the boy, going so far as to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. But the court denied their requests, and a plane flew Elian and his father to Havana on Wednesday.

Reno said the boy should be with his father, and his father should speak for him she just regrets they ultimately decided to return to Cuba.