Both before and after the Iraq invasion, President Bush predicted that Saddam’s fall would lead to democracy flourishing throughout the Middle East:

A liberated Iraq can show the power of freedom to transform that vital region, by bringing hope and progress into the lives of millions. [2/26/03]

Iraqi democracy will succeed – and that success will send forth the news, from Damascus to Teheran – that freedom can be the future of every nation. The establishment of a free Iraq at the heart of the Middle East will be a watershed event in the global democratic revolution. [11/6/03]

And the advance of freedom in the Middle East requires freedom in Iraq. By helping Iraqis build a lasting democracy, we will spread the hope of liberty across a troubled region, and we’ll gain new allies in the cause of freedom. [12/12/05]

But as has been the case with other administration forecasts about the Iraq war and its aftermath, the prediction of a subsequent “global democratic revolution” was overly optimistic.

“Steps toward democracy in the Arab world,” the New York Times reports today, “are slowing, blocked by legal maneuvers and official changes of heart throughout the Middle East.” The New York Times provides several specific examples: Read more

U.S. officials are considering plans to launch a massive military strike in Iran, a strategy that threatens to undermine U.S. national security interests around the world while actually speeding up Iran’s development of nuclear weapons.

From the Heritage Foundation to the Council on Foreign Relations, from Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) to former top Bush State Department official Richard Haass, analysts and experts agree — there are no good military options in Iran.

ThinkProgress has created a graphic database featuring quotes from prominent analysts and experts all stating that there are no good military options in Iran. The document will be updated as more experts and officials weigh in — if we’re missing someone, let us know HERE or in the comments section.