On March 21, 2011 CNN foreign correspondent Nic Robertson criticized Harrigan's coverage of Operation Odyssey Dawn and allegations that the Libyan government had used foreign journalists as human shields against a coalition air-strike on Mummar Gaddafi's compound in Tripoli. The controversy arose when Harrigan refused to take part of a trip organized by the Libyan government to inspect the site of the attack. According to Robertson, the Fox News team sent a non-editorial member of their staff instead of Harrigan.