White House Press Briefing Snippet
HELEN THOMAS: The other day -- in fact, this week, you said that we, the United States, is in Afghanistan and Iraq by invitation. Would you like to correct that incredible distortion of American history --
McCLELLAN: No, we are -- that's where we currently --
HELEN THOMAS: in view of your credibility is already mired? How can you say that?
McCLELLAN: Helen, I think everyone in this room knows that you're taking that comment out of context. There are two democratically-elected governments in Iraq and --
HELEN THOMAS: Were we invited into Iraq?
McCLELLAN: There are two democratically-elected governments now in Iraq and Afghanistan, and we are there at their invitation. They are sovereign governments, and we are there today --
HELEN THOMAS: You mean if they had asked us out, that we would have left?
McCLELLAN: No, Helen, I'm talking about today. We are there at their invitation. They are sovereign governments --
HELEN THOMAS: I'm talking about today, too.
McCLELLAN: -- and we are doing all we can to train and equip their security forces so that they can provide for their own security as they move forward on a free and democratic future. Q Did we invade those countries?
McCLELLAN: Go ahead, Steve.
So sad.
McCLELLAN: No, we are -- that's where we currently --
HELEN THOMAS: in view of your credibility is already mired? How can you say that?
McCLELLAN: Helen, I think everyone in this room knows that you're taking that comment out of context. There are two democratically-elected governments in Iraq and --
HELEN THOMAS: Were we invited into Iraq?
McCLELLAN: There are two democratically-elected governments now in Iraq and Afghanistan, and we are there at their invitation. They are sovereign governments, and we are there today --
HELEN THOMAS: You mean if they had asked us out, that we would have left?
McCLELLAN: No, Helen, I'm talking about today. We are there at their invitation. They are sovereign governments --
HELEN THOMAS: I'm talking about today, too.
McCLELLAN: -- and we are doing all we can to train and equip their security forces so that they can provide for their own security as they move forward on a free and democratic future. Q Did we invade those countries?
McCLELLAN: Go ahead, Steve.
So sad.