By Pamela Gentry, Senior Political Producer 

Posted March 25, 2008 – Sen. Hillary Clinton  (D-N.Y.) in efforts to boost her international experience “misspoke” about her March 1996 trip to Bosnia. The former First Lady recalled landing there under “sniper fire.”  But one passenger on the plane: comedian Sinbad, also along on the humanitarian trip, disagreed.

“I never felt that I was in a dangerous position,” Sinbad told the Washington Post last week. “I never felt being in a sense of peril, or ‘Oh, God, I hope I’m going to be okay when I get out of this helicopter or when I get out of this tank,” he said.

But just last week, when asked about the same trip, Clinton said, “I certainly do remember that trip to Bosnia,” she said, in remarks that aides described Monday as not being part of her prepared speech. “I remember landing under sniper fire. 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.”

Well, it looks like after more in-depth “fact checking.”  Sinbad was right.

Clinton admitted while campaigning in Pennsylvania Monday she “misspoke” about the circumstances surrounding their arrival.  She didn’t offer up an explanation, but admitted making the mistake.  

She didn’t recant her earlier statements until several news organizations confirmed Sinbad’s version of the event.  The Washington Post published a “fact check” on the trip with their reporter who was also there, and CBS News ran the footage of Clinton and her daughter Chelsea walking calmly on the tarmac.  The landing and arrival was uneventful and no one on the trip ever heard or reported gunfire.

Clinton had recalled the trip as “harrowing.”  While Sinbad said it involved no greater decision-making skills than “Do we eat here or at the next place?” according to an interview with the Washington Post.

On Monday, Clinton told the Philadelphia Daily News editorial board she was told “that we had to land a certain way and move quickly because of the threat of sniper fire,” not that actual shots were being fired.

“So I misspoke,” she told the paper.

This now opens the door to challenge her claims of “experience” that she has built her campaign around.  Clinton has maintained she would be “ready on day one” and would be a better commander and chief because of her White House years and her role as First Lady. 

Sinbad, an Obama supporter, may have the last laugh, because I’m sure no one in the Clinton camp is laughing.

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