US 'most serious threat' to global security, foreign policy veteran says

The real danger to the United States emanates from the US itself, said Richard Haass, who has stepped down as president of the Council on Foreign Relations, a foreign policy think tank.

After managing CFR for 20 years, Haass said he has come to a disturbing conclusion that the most serious danger to the world's security right now is the United States itself, he told The New York Times in an interview.

He stated: "Our domestic political situation is not only one that others don't want to emulate ... But I also think that it's introduced a degree of unpredictability and a lack of reliability that's really poisonous. For America's ability to function successfully in the world, I mean, it makes it very hard for our friends to depend on us."

According to The New York Times, Haass is a veteran of four US administrations, one Democratic and three Republican.