That really is the $64,000 question. What can be done to really end this insanity?
I hate to say there is no one single elegant solution or magic bullet. I think a wide combination of facts, such as was done with regard to Libya, is probably going to be helpful. Number one is isolating the country; number two is having very significant economic sanctions. And with Libya what was required was a demonstration by the United States that military action would be taken. Remember that President Clinton did authorize the bombing, a very narrow bombing of just one small area, but it sent the message to Gadhafi as clearly as possible that he was not safe. Now, the difference is that Gadhafi wanted to live and he doesn't have a martyr complex, and he saw how close his own children came to being killed by the bombs. So it does require a combination of carrot and stick.
The other issue is whether the United States and Canada and other freedom-loving countries can have any impact on the people of Iran, many of whom are wonderful and freedom-loving people. Iran, let's remember, had the most open and freest—though not particularly open and free—Muslim nation in the Middle East for a long period of time, with women's rights being recognized. There is a secular culture in that country as well, a culture preferring life to death. And if we can do anything to promote that culture from within and expect that maybe some democratic considerations would prevail....
I'm afraid that won't work alone. It's an extraordinarily complicated problem, because even military action might have negative results. It might strengthen the regime. So there is no single solution.
I just think silence is not an option and inaction is not an option. I know the committee will come up with brilliant and innovative and creative and positive suggestions, all of which should be tried. I think the multi-faceted approach is what is required here, and not reliance on one single magic bullet, which is not available to us.