You didn't hear it here first, nor will I be the last to champion a change unlikely to occur — at least in 2008. Nevertheless, here goes: America should scrap its favorite rhetorical construct, "the war on terror," and engage with others in a concerted, long-term drive not only to thwart plots and capture terrorists but also to reduce their number and curb their effectiveness in gaining adherents. Elevating them to warrior status in a battle of civilizations has given al-Qaida an ongoing success it surely never imagined — in Zbigniew Brzezinski's words, it has had "a pernicious impact on American democracy, on America's psyche and on U.S. standing in the world."

By Susan Albright