Or, you know, doesn’t.

During a “recent press briefing,”:http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/10/20071009-4.html Helen Thomas asked about nuclear weapons in the Middle East. WH Press Secretary Dana Perino tiptoed around the elephant in the room:

Q (Off mike) — the White House has a driving interest in keeping nuclear arms out of Iran, I’d like to ask you, *does any country in the Middle East have nuclear arms?*

MS. PERINO: Well, *I would leave it to those countries to announce whether they do or not. I think that there’s public information about that, Helen.*

Q No, no, no. I want to know if White House knows if there — what do you mean they’re going to announce it?

MS. PERINO: I’m not prepared to say anything beyond what has been publicly stated.

Q So you don’t know whether any other country in the Middle East has nuclear arms?

MS. PERINO: Helen, *I will let those countries speak for themselves.*

Q Or you refuse to say?

MS. PERINO: *I’ll just refuse to say it.*