Washington ? If miscreants had succeeded in decimating 10 aircraft as they flew to the United States from Britain, the most ardent U.S. ally in the struggle against terrorism, some would have hailed it an escalation in the war of the flea.

Generally fleas are no more than nuisances that host bodies can bear and substantially ignore. But when the parasites assemble in critical concentrations, as they did during the Middle Ages, riding on the backs of black rats, their wrath and range can stupefy and overwhelm.

After all, civilized society has infinite vulnerabilities, and terrorists are low profile, resourceful and amazingly agile. If enough of them rise, society – like a flea-ravaged animal – could succumb to exhaustion and anemia.

Or not.

The critical flaw in the “eventual collapse” concept is that people, unlike ill-equipped animals in their battles with fleas, have the ability to defend, innovate and strike back.

During the half-decade since Sept. 11, 2001, the United States and its allies have had many successes. The uncovering of last week’s airline-terror plot provides the most recent evidence. But that is merely one battle. In the overall war, the civilized world has made insufficient progress.

Instead of fighting the war on terrorism – which from the beginning has been too vague to galvanize popular understanding and support – the United States and its allies must increasingly fight the “war against the flea.”

That means educating Americans and other freedom-loving peoples about the full threat terrorists pose, as well as inspiring patience and perspective to sustain them during the generations of conflict to come.

Consider a typical response to the airline-terror plot: Surprise and outrage that terrorists would plan such horrific attacks, followed by misguided frustration with the short-to-medium-term, no-liquids restrictions that have been put into place.

Well, the days of being surprised by terrorists ought to have ended with 9-11. One should at all times anticipate the unexpected in this fight. And, instead of wondering when certain rules will be lifted, air travelers should prepare themselves for whatever is necessary to ensure safety. I, for one, would accept a blanket, no-carry-on-baggage regulation that would eliminate a whole range of potential problems.

In addition, as impressive as inter-governmental cooperation apparently was in stopping the airline-terror plot, the United States and its allies have far to go in emulating the almost-natural predisposition of terrorists to work together – even when they disagree philosophically. From within the United States to the international scene, a more intricately integrated united front must emerge to rival the terrorists’ relentless networking.

The emphasis of the “war against the flea” also must shift to where the terrorists originate and ideologically fuel their torrent of violence. That applies, of course, to larger conflicts, such as those in Afghanistan and Iraq. The United States and its allies should dedicate the necessary resources, both military and financial, to enable those fledgling democracies to endure. I am implying nothing less than the kind of commitment made to Germany and Japan after World War II. To the extent that the experiments in Afghanistan and Iraq succeed, the terrorism struggle will be shorter.

However, the United States and its allies cannot afford to ignore other festering terrorism challenges around the world. Each country or region has its own peculiar circumstances and deserves special attention, a customized “subwar against the flea,” if you will.

The ideas and insights of officials and specialists in those countries and regions become invaluable in crafting a more effective strategy. Greater input from them would help ensure that the end product is perceived as serving global interests, not simply Washington’s.

By better defending, innovating and striking back in the “war against the flea,” the United States and its allies could deflect the mounting horde and diminish the dangers of the plague it carries.