The President's 2003 Budget for the Department of Defense (DoD) and the intelligence community reflects the Administration's strong commitment to winning the war on terrorism, sustaining current military readiness, transforming the way the nation defends itself, and enhancing American intelligence capabilities.

President Bush was very serious when he declared that defeating terrorism is now America's overwhelming priority. We must not forget that our country is still at war with Al Qaeda and the Taliban who are armed, criminal gangs. The remaining members we have not caught are battle-tested and devoted members of Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. They were willing accomplices to the September 11th attacks and constantly proclaim their desire to kill Americans. Presumably, they are always on the lookout to act on these wishes and we must treat them as threats.

The United States has already toppled and replaced the government in Afghanistan. But, the U.S. must assert itself as the dominant foreign power there until the transition is completed. President Bush has made statements indicating that the U.S. will remain engaged over the long haul. Even as the U.S. moves on to other operations in the War on Terrorism, we must retain sufficient strike power in the region to keep the Afghans in check. The U.S. also must check the roles of Iran and the other Members of the Axis of Evil.