Halting the modest reduction in U.S. surge troop levels that has been underway in Iraq demonstrates the President’s insistence on a war without end and will further undermine our military readiness.

The President’s Iraq policy will result in the same number of troops committed to an endless war in Iraq at the end of this year as were there at the end of 2006. And the President continues to ignore the calls of the American people to wind down the war with the responsible redeployment of our troops.

Meanwhile, as a report by former NATO commander General James Jones makes clear, NATO ‘is not winning’ the real war against terrorism in Afghanistan.’ And an Army study reportedly reveals that suicides among Army personnel are at record levels.

The President’s failure to end the war in Iraq influences both of these threats to our security and neither is likely to improve until there is a New Direction in Iraq.