and are we concentrating on the wrong subject? would a 2,500-troop contingent have just remainedhere four, five, or ten years? was that sustainable? >> well, you know, my own view is had we stayed beyond the 31st of august, the taliban would have re-engaged the war, we would have had to reinforce not 2,500, but probably 15,000, 20,000 nato troops total and we would have kept the afghan government and armed forces from collapsing. i do believe it was a legitimate political decision by president biden and trump to withdraw all forces and to do it in a very short term. in addition, mr. trump teed up the doha agreement, which essentially completely threw the afghan government under the bus and would clearly result in their eventual collapse.