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Clinton Bosnia Account Comes Under Fire
March 24, 2008 3:14 PM
ABC News' Eloise Harper and Nitya Venkataraman Report: Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., has been receiving heat for her account of a trip she took to Bosnia as First Lady, most recently in a clip that splices her account with CBS footage of the 1996 visit being circulated by the Obama campaign.
It has been disputed whether Clinton was embellishing the risk she faced during the landing in Tuzla and the trip overall. Most recently, Clinton said they landed in an "evasive maneuver" "under sniper fire".
At an event in Washington last Monday, Sen. Clinton said, "There was supposed to be some kind of a greeting ceremony at the airport but instead we just ran with our heads down to get into the vehicles to get to our base."
After CBS video surfaced of the 1996 visit to Bosnia showing no visible threat and a calm greeting ceremony on the tarmac in Tuzla - Clinton's account was again called into question.
Today on a conference call with reporters, Clinton Communications Director Howard Wolfson, defended Clinton but said that she may have "misspoke" in her most recent description of the trip.
In Clinton's account of the same visit in her autobiography "Living History" she describes a near-perpendicular landing to evade possible ground fire" but talks about the greeting ceremony on the tarmac in Tuzla with local schoolchildren though says it was cut short "due to reports of snipers in the hills around the airstrip".
During the event on the tarmac, Clinton writes in her autobiography "One eight year old girl gave me a copy of a poem she had written entitled "Peace". Chelsea and I presented the school supplies we had brought….We were then hustled off to the fortified American base at Tuzla, where over two thousand American, Russian, Canadian, British, and Polish soldiers were encamped in a large tent city."
UPDATE
In an editorial board meeting with the Philadelphia Daily News and Philadelphia Inquirer, Clinton revised her Bosnia story, admitting there was a "misstatement" in her account describing running with her head down to get into the vehicles. Today, she said that she "had to meet this 8-year-old girl," so, "I took her stuff and left."
When Clinton was challenged by a reporter that this revised account calls into question her foreign policy credentials, Clinton then said, "No, I went to 80 countries, you know. I gave contemporaneous accounts, I wrote about a lot of this in my book. You know, I think that, a minor blip, you know, if I said something that, you know, I say a lot of things -- millions of words a day -- so, if I misspoke, that was just a misstatement."
March 24, 2008 in Bush, George W. | Permalink | User Comments (308)
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Why is Obama and his followers making such a big thing about this?? She was there . So what if some of the details don`t agree? Is Obama getting so desperate that he has to use non essential BS to bolster his ego. Or is he just trying to create a smoke screen to avoid talking about real issues.
Posted by: Vince | Mar 24, 2008 3:43:50 PM
Lets talk about why Obama hasn't convened a committe overseeing NATO.
Bosnia was a NATO mission as well.
Lets talk NATO, an area where MR obama could have had knowledge and expertise and experience except for one thing.
He can't be bothered!
Lets talk about Bosnia and the NATO alliance and how its disfunctional rightnow and countires wont send their troop into combat zones. NOw which one of these candidates hasn't done their jobs with regards to the military or NATO?
That would be relevent wouldn't it??
Posted by: s.b. | Mar 24, 2008 3:44:25 PM
If Hillary made just "one little blunder" in dealing with the truth, that would be one thing. But it's patently obvious that she lies and lies and lies. Or, as one of her biographers put it, she has a problem with truth. Rather like our current President.
Posted by: Roger | Mar 24, 2008 3:44:38 PM
I find it hillarious how HRC's supporters are willing to just dismiss her LIES AWAY... you people will support a liar and trust your country to someone who fabricates her foreign policy background - no such trip to Africa, was not part of the Irish Peace Agreement, Run Hillary, Run Sniper fire!
You guys just crack me up! You eat all of it up - shows you have air between your ears
Posted by: liar, liar. | Mar 24, 2008 3:45:10 PM
S.b--no one asks Obama because he didn't loudly toot his horn on his experience compared to the other candidate or brag about his shaping critical world events.
Hillary did make those claims so it IS a big deal when it turns out she has greatly stretched the truth once again.
* *
It's fascinating to see Obama criticized for fighting back. Some of the same people criticizing him for that are the ones who said he was non-presidential because he wouldn't get down and dirty. What is it going to be? --It's like the whole Muslim shtick...the same people who accused him of being Muslim now accuse him of being too close to a Christian church.
???
Posted by: Jim | Mar 24, 2008 3:45:52 PM
Clinton is out speaking on her proposals for the economy and Obama has this! What next? Maybe one of his advisors can snoop in the passport files again.
Posted by: jim | Mar 24, 2008 3:46:04 PM
This issue is very small considering the fact that Bosnia is very volatile and there was risk for her to go there and be a good will ambassader. The intent of the visit is very important and I think it must be very proud moment for her because she did it knowing the risk. Obama campaign is playing down her intent. Did Obama ever experienced such critical moments? I suppose not and that's why he does not appretiate her intent.
Posted by: Humm | Mar 24, 2008 3:46:18 PM
She "mis-remembered" just like Roger Clemens... then she opened her mouth and "mis-spoke" Puuuleeaassse!!!
Posted by: Shawn | Mar 24, 2008 3:46:33 PM
What heat is Obama under?? Have u heard of the separation of church and state? U dont want to go the clinton's church......a can of worms is about to open on exactly that. Should have picked a more worthy scandal clintonites.
Posted by: enaudnella | Mar 24, 2008 3:46:34 PM
For how long will she continue to lie to the America people. The most annoying part of this matter is that she is getting a free pass by the media on it. First it was NAFTAR now its Bosnia, what next Madam experience.
If it was Obama that has been pandering this lies he would have being blown out of this race
Posted by: ken | Mar 24, 2008 3:47:37 PM
This story is ridiculous.
Posted by: Val | Mar 24, 2008 3:48:03 PM
I wonder why Sen.Hillary Clinton is still in the race,cant she see that it's over.Let man alone who has a dream of CHANGE rule the Party and Hopefully the Country ofcourse.
BARACK OBAMA IS THE DREAM LUTHER KING SPOKE ABOUT,NO ONE EVER CAME UP WITH THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THAT DREAM,NO ONE EVEN KNEW OR KNOW WHAT KIND OF THE DREAM HE WAS TALKING ABOUT.BUT TODAY IAM TELLING YOU THAT KING WAS TALKING ABOUT UPCOMING CHANGES IN AMERICA,CHANGES WILL BE BROUGHT BY OBAMA,THE WHOLE UNIVERSAL IS BEHIND OBAMA,THIS MAN AINT JUST BARACK OBAMA IS SUPER LEADER SENT BY GOD TO SERVE USA.
HILLARY JUST ACCEPT DEFEAT AND SUPPORT OBAMA,AND YOU WILL SEE YOURSELF THAT THIS MAN DESERVED TO BECOME PRESIDENT OF USA.AND DONT GET ME WRONG BECAUSE IAM NOT AN AMERICAN,I JUST WISH YOU ALL GOODLUCKY.
Posted by: Jean | Mar 24, 2008 3:48:31 PM
Clinton made a major speech on the economy today. You know the economy. That thing that feeds people and keeps a roof over their heads.
She gives a speech detailing her plans for an emergency response team to finincial crisis and you see fit to report this garbage.
Lets talk about the economy people.
How about NATO. Bring it on. Nit picking weather or not her plane was warned of incoming sniper fire and when that threat was over 14 years ago is a complete distraction.
Obama got coverage of his speech. Why arent you covering Clinton's speech??
Do you take all of your talking points from the Obama campaign??
Cover the speech or cover NATO like a real reporter.
Posted by: s.b. | Mar 24, 2008 3:48:39 PM
She is all lies. That is all. Never believe what she said. It is all lies.
Posted by: Jon | Mar 24, 2008 3:49:08 PM
Is there NO subject on which we can expect the Clintons to tell the truth? And is there NO lie from the Clintons which will finally convince their diehard, "dead-ender" supporters to give up on Mrs. Clinton's deception-based pipe dream?
Posted by: Mark | Mar 24, 2008 3:49:23 PM
See that Obama has his new kind of politics fangs out again!
Anything to deflect the media away from his racist preacher buddy.
Posted by: ken | Mar 24, 2008 3:49:39 PM
Ryan from Indiana, you get my kuddos! even though you can see where Hillary MIS-SPOKE you still support her and I honestly commend you for that! matter a fact you're why I'm responding to this. I'll now say I'm an Obama supporter but that's not the point you overlooked a political error because you honestly believe in your candidate and that is comendable (sorry if there's mis-spelling) I honestly like Hillary don't think she's the best one and that's ok, the point is these candidates are human and no matter who gets in the white house (hopefully it will be Barak or Hillary) there not going to go in and get it right immediatly but I think they will honestly go in to try. the point again is you where able to overlook a mistake as I have with my candidate not naming anything exactly but still behind who I think can help us get back on track so again I wrote this because of you and I hope all will think about your passion for who you're going to give your important vote for!!
Posted by: Bryce | Mar 24, 2008 3:49:56 PM
Obama folks - get real. What experience does OBAMA have other than sitting in a church that preaches hate against whites?
Also, Bill Clinton has done more for Africa than any black person has. GO FIGURE WHO IS THE REAL BLACK PERSON.
Posted by: GS | Mar 24, 2008 3:50:27 PM
Bosnia was a war zone.
When was the last time Obama landed in ANY war zone??
NEVER!
Posted by: s.b. | Mar 24, 2008 3:51:26 PM
I guess it's human nature for people, expecially politicians to exagerate issues. In any area with potential surface to air risks, it is SOP for USAF aircraft to execute certain landing manuvers. In this particular case, it was probably a random steep approach to maximize altitude before the aircraft touches the runway. The same is generally true on take off..Since Hillary was on-board, every percaution was taken. I'm certain she was at no risk, since I sincerely doubt the aircraft would have been permitted to land with her aboard, with reported gunfire in the area..
Posted by: Charles Bellomo | Mar 24, 2008 3:51:47 PM
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