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.