Afghanistan has other enormous challenges as well, including a political system that is still very much developing, although there has been some progress in the past several years.

I think Putin wants to recreate as much of the Soviet Union as he can through a variety of different means. He's invaded parts of Georgia, took Crimea, southeastern Ukraine, bases in other countries.

Syria has allowed its soil to be transited by foreign fighters who have come from a variety of source countries in the Gulf area and in the - in North African countries.There are some signs that that may have been reduced somewhat in the last couple of months. We need to watch that a bit and see if that is the case.

ISIS is on its way to defeat but terrorism threat persists.

I am not a politician, and I will never be, and I say that with absolute conviction.

Let's remember that the reason we are there is that we have vital interests in Afghanistan, hugely important national interests, as do the other countries involved.

The Islamic State fighters in Mosul are dead men walking and I think they increasingly know it.