iran, i think, teetered on the brink of having a democratic revolution in 2009. perhaps we missed an opportunity to help it on its way. that's something for future historians to debate. >> rose: is a mistake that we and others have made in history. history ofte offers up the case of someone who, a, for whatever political reason was not aware of change that was beneath the surface in a society and therefore when it happened was unprepared for. did not know anybody that was involved in it. >> i think the opportunity arrid... >> rose: be exhibited. >> right. and the opportunity to harness let's say the secular liberal energies may have been passed up. we could have had a spring. well, we did have a spring wh the libyan revolution d it was snuffed out. >> rose: you mean at the time of the election. >> in the summer of '09. thatas a moment wren history failed to rn. it was a turning point that di't happen and i thinkthe consequences of that could be disastrous. >> re: so that also raises a classic question, too, in... to the prident at that time. there were people on