CRI听力：Mullen Seeks Up to 30000 More Troops in Afghanistan

The top US military officer says up to 30-thousand new American troops could be sent to Afghanistan by the summer of 2009.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen said on a visit to Kabul that the United States remains strongly committed to what he called not just a fight against the Taliban extremists, but also the future of Afghanistan.

"Some 20 to 30 thousand is the window of overall increase from where we are right now. I actually don't have an exact number, but when we get there I don't see... I don't know the circumstances, I can't predict, but I don't know the circumstances under which we would add significantly an increased number of troops."

Mullen said after those troops are added, only improvements in Afghanistan's governance and economic situation will affect the strength of the insurgency.