ANBAR (November 6, 2005) - General John Sattler, the Commanding General of the First Marine Expeditionary Force, 1MEF, with frontline headquarters in the Anbar province, announced today that Senator Hillary Clinton is the first US politician to be embedded with an US fighting unit. She underwent a secret training last week and is now in an undisclosed location near Fallujah. The Marine unit, which Senator Clinton is embedded with, will take part in the imminent attack on this insurgent city. In a statement issued by her Senate office on Saturday morning, Senator Clinton insisted that " This has nothing to do with the 2008 Presidential election. My credentials on defense matters and war on terror are beyond doubt and way above those of other potential candidates of both parties".
According to The New York Times, other politicians have tried to be embedded with a fighting unit in Iraq, but without success. Senator John Kerry reportedly tried early this year to be embedded with the French Navy Special Forces, Commando Jaubert, but withdrew the application when he was informed that this French unit was not active in Iraq but on actual duty in Ivory Coast.
Dan Rather of CBS News also reported that as late as October, Senator John Edwards did ask to be embedded with the First Cavalry Division based in Baghdad, but withdrew the request immediately when he realized that "wearing the Kevlar helmet might cause a serious hairdo malfunction".
