A claim that New York Sen. Hillary Clinton ventured beyond Baghdad's security zone on Friday to visit U.S. troops in the combat zone is being challenged by Fox News Channel military reporter Oliver North.
North, who returned from Iraq on Thursday, was filling in for nationally syndicated radio host Sean Hannity when the topic of Sen. Clinton's Iraq trip came up.
"The media tried like the dickens to make the Hillary visit look like ... a very courageous thing," the former Marine colonel told a caller.
Noting the claim by Sen. Clinton's press aide that she was "on a visit with a military division outside the security zone," North insisted, "Let me tell you something. Nobody, nobody, nobody goes around Baghdad outside, quote, the security perimeter."
Based on the dubious account of her spokeswoman, Sen. Clinton was being credited with an act of courage by the European press, whose reporters drew comparisons with President Bush.
Saturday's London Times noted, for instance, "Unlike Bush, who never left the heavily secured military compound at Baghdad International Airport or the company of Americans during his two and a half hour visit, Senator Clinton headed out to meet troops, aid workers and Iraqi politicians."
Agence France-Press also gave Clinton credit for the supposedly bold gesture, saying, "Unlike the US president, who never left the main military camp at Baghdad airport during his two-and-a-half hour stay, Clinton left the heavily fortified complex around the palace to go and visit troops."
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