This is a CBSI and the world. I'm John Batchew with my colleagues,

the same accounting, former ambassador to the United States from Pakistan

now at the Hudson Institute and Bill Rajo of the

FDD with Long War General Bill Air Force. You and Will Smith and I recommend

this podcast to everyone because what we're looking at is lessons learned for the next time we plunge into a culture we do not understand and plan to be gone in 20 years or 10 years or 5 years.

Bill, the Air Force was integrated into the battle plan

for the Afghanistan National Army,

as I understand it, and that it was over when the contractors left.

There was no Air Force.

As the Ambassador said, it couldn't be serviced.

Therefore, the claim that the Afghans wouldn't fight is false on the face

of it and a denialism about our participation in the defeat.

Did I hear that correctly?

Oh, you heard that 100% correct.

Hussein is 100% correct about being able to field an Air Force. You need the logistics. It's not just about

pilots and the planes. You need to keep them in the air. You need to, they need

fuel, they need maintenance, they need those weapon systems.

We did not set the Afghans up to be independent.

They were just not ready.

And when the withdrawal was announced, without U.S US forces, those contractors had to leave.

The administration knew this.

You know, one thing about that really bothers many of us about the claims that the Afghan

...