Washington: Fighting the al-Qaida terrorist network will remain United States' top priority in 2003, US President George W Bush told a magazine in an interview.

"The biggest issues facing us in 2003 will be continuing the war on terror," Bush told the magazine.

"The al-Qaida is in about 60 countries, they're scattered around. We will have to continue to pursue them, which means that we must continue to work hard to keep this coalition together. The war on terror will require a constant evaluation on progress."

Agencies