New York: Hillary Clinton, who is in a tight race with senator Barack Obama for Democratic presidential nominee, has asked her husband and former US president Bill Clinton to refrain from commenting on her Bosnia trip.

Bill Clinton on Friday had sought to explain why Hillary misspoke on landing amidst sniper fire in Bosnia in 1996 .

Hillary had repeatedly described a harrowing scene in Bosnia that she had to run for cover on landing there during a visit in 1996 but video footage of the day instead showed a peaceful reception. The New York senator, during one of the election rallies, had acknowledged that she got the facts wrong.

Political analysts said Bill Clinton's repeatedly trying to explain away the story has the result of keeping it alive at a time when she and her supporters want to forget it, especially with the crucial April 22 primary in Pennsylvania in view.

Clinton, according to ABC television, himself said that Hillary called him and told him, "You don't remember this. You weren't there, let me handle it."

And the former President's replied "Yes ma'am" and she said, "Look, just let me handle this cause you don't remember it either".

In a campaign address, Clinton had earlier said that Hillary had misstated when she was exhausted and had immediately apologised for what happened in Bosnia. But media reports contested that statement about apology, saying there was no such thing.

The terse conservation between the husband and wife, who are often shown walking hand in hand on television bring out the intense pressure she is under, analysts say, adding that it would be better for her campaign to just forget it.

ABC television reported that Bill Clinton, asked if he regretted that his statements might be distracting people from his wife's campaign, told reporters, "I regret that people like you care more about that than whether she served the troops".

Hillary Clinton's campaign spokesman Phil Singer said, "Sen Clinton appreciates her husband standing up for her, but this was her mistake and she takes responsibility for it".

Meanwhile Obama, sharpening his attacks, questioned Hillary on her commitment to oppose free trade agreements with Columbia when her chief strategist Mark Penn was advising that country how to get it through the Congress.

This was first time that he had directly referred to Penn apparently keeping in view that workers would have a big say in deciding the primary in the State which has lost thousand of jobs and where anti free trade agreement sentiments run high.

Clinton had fired Penn from the post but he remains on her campaign's pay roll and continues to provide advice. That gave Obama the ammunition at a time when both are looking for even smallest opening in the other's campaign to fire a salvo.

"I am not surprised that Sen Clinton found herself in an uncomfortable position as a consequence (of Penn working for Colombians simultaneously) and I know that if staff of mine putting me in that kind of position, I would get rid of them," he was quoted as saying, apparently implying that she had not actually fired Penn who has been associated with Clintons for several years.

Source : PTI