Richard Haass

uh experience clearly made them think this was going to be quick and easy also when you read the new york times and other pieces the lack of expertise or knowledge about iran is shocking either people didn't know jack or if they knew it they were too too scared to speak up

or if anybody did speak up and there's no evidence they really did, it was rejected out of hand because it didn't fit with the model that this was going to be another Venezuela.

But anyone who knew the first thing about Iran would know something about Iran's resilience, about what it went through in its 10-year war with Iraq, and so forth.

This is a revolution that was based upon anti-Americanism and anti-Zionism.

So this to me was premised on such a misunderstanding.

I

Anthony, after the Iraq experience in 2003, I wrote a book, War of Necessity, War of Choice.

And one of my arguments was, you should only go to war with countries you understand.

And we violated that in 2003, and we violated it now with Iran.

Well, now I know why you invited me to be on the podcast is you needed a Jewish perspective.

Actually, I wanted to be a rabbi at one point.

So thank you for that.

The picture the president put out on True Social, to almost paraphrase the old line, you don't have to be Jewish to enjoy Levi's rye bread.

You don't have to be Catholic to be offended by that.

That to me, I mean-

I'll leave it to you to use words like blasphemy or the rest.

That's what it is.

But I found that remarkably offensive.

Also, just politically, to pick a fight with the Pope, who's extraordinarily popular and decent.

Also, I was reading what he said.