MANCHESTER – A New Hampshire native who was at the center of the infamous "Black Hawk Down" incident in Somalia 15 years ago jumped into the presidential debate yesterday on the side of Republican John McCain.

Retired U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Michael Durant questioned Barack Obama's "judgment" and "priorities" for canceling a visit to a military hospital in Germany last week.

Durant was beaten and held hostage in Somalia for 11 days after his Black Hawk helicopter crashed in the Somali capital of Mogadishu, shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade.

He was the sole survivor as two other soldiers died in the ensuing battle. He spent time in the Ramstein Air Force Base Landstuhl hospital Obama had planned to visit.

Durant's ordeal inspired him to write two books, "In the Company of Heroes" and "The Night Stalkers." He was also a key figure in journalist Mark Bowden's best-seller, "Black Hawk Down," which was made into a movie.

Durant retired from the military seven years ago and runs a software engineering firm in Alabama that deals primarily with the Pentagon. He also does motivational speaking engagements for business, law enforcement and government and student groups.

His parents still live in the Berlin area and other relatives are in southern New Hampshire, he said.

Obama and his campaign have said the hospital visit was canceled at the suggestion of the Pentagon. But the Pentagon has denied telling Obama he could not visit the hospital and has said Obama was told he could visit in his official capacity as a sitting senator as long as he did not use the hospital for a campaign event.

Durant said in a statement issued by the McCain campaign yesterday that while Obama "made time in his busy schedule to hold a rally with 200,000 Germans in Berlin, hold a press conference with French President Nicholas Sarkozy in Paris and hold a solo press conference in front of 10 Downing Street in London," the senator canceled his trip to Ramstein "after it became clear that campaign staff and the traveling press corps would not be allowed" to accompany him.

"I'm sure that Senator Obama could have made no better use of his time than to meet with our men and women in uniform there," Durant said. "That Barack Obama believes otherwise casts serious doubt on his judgment and calls into question his priorities."

Obama state campaign spokesman Sandra Abrevaya responded, "One of the main reasons that Senator Obama traveled to Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan was to express his deep gratitude to our heroic troops.

As part of his trip, Senator Obama had planned to make a private visit -- without the press -- to thank the men and women at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.

However, once it became clear that his visit to see the wounded warriors of Landstuhl would be perceived as a campaign event, he decided it was best not to go.

"Senator Obama has visited combat and veterans hospitals on several occasions, and will continue to visit with and thank our troops whenever he can," Abrevaya said.

Obama supporters have pointed out in recent months that while McCain now calls for a continued military commitment and a clear victory in Iraq, he had a different opinion on Somalia in 1993.

In October of that year, after Durant had returned, McCain introduced legislation to cut off funds for the military operation in Somalia, calling the mission "some kind of warlord hunting, nation-building law and order endeavor, which has no beginning, no end, no clear-cut policy, no military objective."

Durant said yesterday the government in 1993 "should have found a way to make that operation a success because there were a lot of aspects of it that were a success."

But he refused to comment on McCain's 1993 position, saying, "I'd rather stick to what's going on today."

(Note: When first posted, this article incorrectly credited Durant with writing "Black Hawk Down.")