and the diplomatic assessment that's layered on top of that. there was a collective assessment through the jic? it was a collective assessment through the jic that you were referring to? it wasn't a particularly military assessment, is that correct? well, thele is there to provide the information, if you like, the raw intelligence that's distilled down, and then that is backed up by the military assessment, for example, on things like intent although, frankly, it's a cross—cutting issue. my point is this. the central assessment that we were operating to — and it was certainly backed up by both thele and the military — is that the likely, most likely, most central proposition was that, given the troop withdrawal by the end of august, you would see a steady deterioration from that point, and that it was unlikely kabul would fall this year. that was the central assessment, and, of course, with all the usual caveats that