Afghan fight 'serious and deteriorating': Mullen

The top U.S. military officer described the situation in Afghanistan as serious and deteriorating, but refused to say Sunday whether defeating a resilient enemy would require more than the 68,000 American troops already committed. Admiral Mike Mullen also expressed concern about eroding public support as the U.S. and NATO enter their ninth year of combat and reconstruction operations. The comments from the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff underscore the challenges that the U.S. and its allies face against a resurgent Taliban and al-Qaida fighters. Nearly eight years after the attacks of September 11, 2001, Al-Qaeda remains very capable of attacking the United States, Mike Mullen said. Al-Qaeda is still very capable, very focused on it, he added. Mullen, the top US military officer, added that the US military is very focused on making sure that it doesn't happen again, referring to the potential for another such attack on US soil.