WASHINGTON - The war on terrorism, we are told, is a new kind of war. The scale and scope of terrorism's targeting of innocent civilians across borders and the stateless nature of the organizers represent a security challenge the likes of which the West has never seen before.

True, some of the specific threats have changed, in remarkable ways. But this first war of the 21st century looks much like the last war of the 20th - the Cold War against communism.
As the long battle against global terrorism begins, we should look at the lessons of that long and ultimately victorious struggle.

Communist leaders from Lenin and Stalin to Mao to Castro had worldwide ambitions that were hostile to Western values, particularly freedom, tolerance and prosperity. Like Osama bin Laden, they were willing to resort to mass violence and were expert in the use of propaganda to attract the poor and uneducated to their cause.

It took more than 70 years, but the West ultimately beat back the challenge posed by communism. How did we do it? Part of the answer, of course, was military. We fought two large-scale wars in Asia against communism and provided military equipment to dozens of anti-Communist insurgencies, including one that became the Taliban in Afghanistan.

But in the end it was not only military prowess that proved decisive but also the ability to win the hearts, minds and wallets of billions worldwide.

The West's economic success, and particularly its ability to extend the promise of market economies to developing nations of Latin America, Southern and Eastern Europe and the Pacific Rim countries of Asia, helped suck the lifeblood out of communism's global appeal. Eventually the inability of communism to meet the yearning for a better life spelled its doom.

The same could be the case in the war against global terrorism. The military effort must be coupled with a revival of some of the programs and initiatives that proved so effective during the Cold War. In some cases, these programs should take precedence over purely military tactics.

Development aid. During the Cold War the United States provided billions of dollars in economic aid, much of which was used to build infrastructure and to feed and educate the people. The most spectacular successes were the Marshall Plan for Europe and rebuilding Japan and Germany.

Building market economies. Insistence on open and free trade was instrumental in allowing many developing countries to build stable and prosperous economies. The 20th century proved the axiom that good economics builds good politics - not the other way around. Authoritarian countries and regions that embraced capitalism, such as Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand and Latin America eventually produced a middle class that saw democracy take root.

Public diplomacy. To counter bin Laden's appeal to disenfranchised young Muslims, we will have to articulate a better vision of the future. We must become a beacon not just to the privileged classes in the Islamic world but to the Muslim "street."

Western leaders have indicated at least a token under-standing of this broader agenda. The decision to couple bombing with food delivery is a step in the right direction, as is the decision to minimize civilian casualties.

The United States and Britain should now agree to curtail the bombing even more and work with Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan's other neighbors to ensure stability in the region after the Taliban are gone.

The West should announce a Marshall-like plan for those moderate regimes in the Muslim world willing to commit to the war against fanaticism.

In the long run the only way to win this war is to encourage economic growth and market capitalism.

In his visit to Pakistan this week, Secretary of State Colin Powell talked of the opportunity that closer U.S.-$ Pakistani ties presented. With U.S. help, Pakistan could finally become a stable 21st century nation by breaking up feudal land holdings and establishing universal secular education to counter the religious schools that are hotbeds of pro-terrorist sentiment.

Spreading the wealth leads to greater stability and a middle class that will demand a political voice. It is no accident that Mexico, where the poor now own assets worth $315 billion, has become a model of political stability and pluralism in the developing world.

Those North African and Middle Eastern states, such as Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia, that are developing their economies before pushing democracy are now more enlightened than states such as Syria, Iraq and Sudan, where instant democracy descended into military tyranny. The West must offer a stake in the modern capitalist economic system to all who are now disadvantaged.

Stanley A. Weiss is founder and chairman of Business Executives for National Security. The views he expresses are his own.