A US top military officer has said that Washington probably needs to send more troops to Afghanistan to support the government and fight the militant groups. During a hearing at the Senate Armed Services Committee in Washington last night, Adm. Michael Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, asked the public for more time to consider whether to send more American troops. He said that while the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal won't request more troops for another two weeks, the war may require more troops based on McChrystal assessment submitted last month. Mullen's mixed messages reflect the US administration's difficulty amidst declining political and public support for the eight -year long war.br/Deep divisions are reported within Obama administration and his democrat colleagues over sending more troops to Afghanistan. A CNN survey released yesterday indicates that 39 percent of Americans favour the war in Afghanistan, while 58 percent are opposed to the mission.br/