Scott Mann

When Afghanistan collapsed, they just shut down.

I just stopped.

And I think a lot of people are still, because there's, well, there's no threat now.

There's nothing to worry about, it's over.

And so I think people just moved on and they're executing their day to day, not recognizing the fact that there is very much a threat at hand here, probably worse than pre 9-11, yet the apparatus that had been in place for federal, state, local information sharing is not there at all anymore.

it went away with the Afghanistan withdrawal.

And instead, what you've got is actionable information with GWAT veterans going to the Hurricane Operations Center.

That's where we are.

So the capabilities, I think, are there at a state and local level to at least look at it, the problem, and go, okay, well, here's what we could do, the same way you would deal with a hurricane or some other disaster, but the conversation isn't happening.

Because one of the things our federal government can really do well is to tee up the priorities and the conversations, and they're responsible first and foremost for national security.

Okay, so well, Al-Qaeda is a threat.

The Taliban are a threat.

No, instead, the Taliban are a legitimate state actor that we're giving funds to.

So by definition, there's nothing coming down into what would have been well-established channels about this threat, because the federal government doesn't see them as a threat.

What you have are GYN veterans who see them as a threat.

So as a state and local leader, who are you going to believe?

Wow.

The first thing, I mean, I...

I still hold out some measure of hope.

I have to do that because I have three sons and a couple of them would be at risk if this thing goes the way it could possibly go.