This is John Batchelor, conversation with good colleague Bill Rajo, the Foundation for the Defense of Democracy,

at the third anniversary of the Afghanistan withdrawal.

Asking the question, did the leadership know that Afghan government could not asking the

question, did the leadership know that Afghan government could not stand and cynically

deceive the American people or did they not know

and believe that the Afghan National Army, the Afghan police, and the Afghanistan

government could last for X number of years ahead.

Bill Raggio, Foundation for the Defense of Democracy, covering

Afghanistan for decades. Here he is. More of this tonight.

You know, that's a good question and the either answer isn't good right

either it knew and it lied to us or it didn't know I don't know what's worse obviously the

lie is far more pernicious, but the, I suspect it was depending on who it was, I'm sure

President Biden wanted to believe this. I'm sure those below him. I'm sure the

Chairman and Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Secretary of Defense probably understood the

and the Secretary of State or those maybe their immediate underlings probably understood the very real situation that exists and that is part of the problem as well. Did they stand up to the president and say,

this is what's going to happen?

Look, who's saying, folks like Hussein,

saying myself will suburb.

Many of us who followed this knew what was going to happen. I predicted the

Afghan government wouldn't make it out by the end of the summer, you know, and I

don't relish in being able to make that prediction.

It was quite obvious following Afghanistan for years.

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