In Afghanistan, US military commanders have reportedly told the White House they don’t have enough troops for their fight against the Taliban. The New York Times reports the assessment was relayed to Obama administration envoy Richard Holbrooke this weekend. On Sunday, the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, said violence is worsening in Afghanistan.

Adm. Mike Mullen: “It’s the mission that the military has right now to focus — and General McChrystal is doing this — focus on the security for the people, focus on the Afghan people. And that’s a significant change from where we were just a few months ago. And it is in that focus that both understands what they feel about their security, which is pretty bad right now and getting worse, and moving to a direction — moving in a direction that provides security, so then we can develop governance, so then we can develop an economy, and they can take over their own destiny.”

President Obama has already escalated the Afghan war with around 17,000 troops. The new US commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, could still request additional forces. A poll last week showed a majority of Americans now see the Afghan war as not worth fighting.