Despite warnings from the Trump administration about an imminent attack by Iran or its proxies against American allies and forces, and the attack against oil tankers that followed, the liberal media has been claiming the threat from Iran was being overblown by an administration itching for a war. But, during an interview with ABC’s chief global affairs correspondent Martha Raddatz for This Week, former Army General David Petraeus pushed back and dismantled their fear mongering.

On Wednesday, Raddatz had suggested that the President was on the verge of possibly getting the U.S. into another war based on “faulty” intelligence reports, and equated it to the Iraq War. The suggestion made a return appearance in her interview.

Petraeus just began defending his confidence of CIA intelligence when Raddatz interrupted to ask: “Do you see parallels with Iraq? I mean, clearly, that’s the concern.”

“I do not. No, in Iraq there was a real momentum to go to war with Iraq and there was intelligence, however flawed it turned out to be,” he argued. “I just don't see this at all similar to that.” Raddatz interrupted yet again to fret about National Security Advisor John Bolton and his “hardliner” tendencies.

The former General agreed that Bolton was a hardliner, but noted that President Trump “clearly is not on this issue. And I think it was very clear what he said to the press, he hopes not [to go to war].”

Shortly before that exchange, Raddatz was worried about Bolton whispering in Trump’s ear to start a war with Iran. Petraeus countered her assertion pretty quickly (click “expand”):

GEN. DAVID PETRAEUS: Tell me how this ends. I think that has been answered by the President, frankly. It’s pretty clear he doesn't want to go to war in Iran. He’s not after regime change, he after what Secretary Pompeo has announced as the objective, which is regime behavior change. MARTHA RADDATZ: John Bolton, obviously, before he was national security adviser talked about regime change and that was something he wanted. Do you think that's still being whispered in the President's ear? PETRAEUS: Not after what the President said to the press the other day, certainly, if it was ever said.

Raddatz was also nervous about a rumored contingency plan to send 120,000 troops to the region is Iran attacked U.S. installations. Trump had denied it and argued that they would need way more troops than that. In response, Petraeus noted “it's absolutely right that they should be examining a variety of different options. It be, actually, derelict if they did not actually prepare for whatever could come.”

Furthermore, Petraeus pointed out that Trump’s assessment was correct in that more troops would be needed because the population and size of Iran were far greater than that of Iraq. “[A]gain, rightly, the President has shelved those,” he added.

Now that Petraeus has dismantled an important liberal talking point, it will be interesting to see of the left turns on him once more and go back to their “betray us” sneers.

The transcript is below, click "expand" to read: