Afghanistan could get 30,000 new US troops

The top U.S. military officer says that up to 30,000 new American troops could be sent to Afghanistan next year.
   
Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, says between 20,000 and 30,000 additional U.S. troops could be sent to Afghanistan by summer.
   
U.S. commanders have long requested an additional 20,000 troops to bolster the 31,000 American forces already in the country. But the high end of Mullen’s range - 30,000 additional forces - is the largest number any top U.S. military official has given publicly.