The Committee on the Present Danger was relaunched as a non-partisan group to advocate policies aimed at winning the war on terror and building foundations for democracy worldwide.

We're here to form a non-partisan citizens' army, said Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., honorary co-chairman of the committee.

The group has 45 members, including former Rep. Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., former U.N. ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick, former Attorney General Ed Meese and former Rep. Jack Kemp, R-N.Y.

Several members of the committee are holdovers from its 1970s incarnation. The committee was formed in 1950 as an advocate for strong U.S. resistance to Soviet expansion. It was resurrected during the Carter administration amid concerns over the disengagement of the United States in Cold War diplomacy after Vietnam.

Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., the committee's other honorary co-chairman, expressed concern that this same scenario could arise.

We've got to constantly remind our fellow citizens and our allies around the world that this, like the Cold War, is a conflict that requires a commitment over a long period of time, he said. Kyl said it was particularly important to remain committed even in the face of setbacks or times when the enemy was perceived to be inactive.

Former CIA Director James Woolsey will serve as the committee's chairman. Before introducing Lieberman and Kyl, Woolsey said the war on terror is a war against extremist Islamist ideology, which he carefully distinguished from the religion of Islam as practiced by the vast majority of Muslims around the world.

(The Islamist movement) is a totalitarian movement masquerading as religion, Woolsey said, drawing parallels to the Soviet empire of the Cold War era. The danger that we must address is a danger to democracy and civil society throughout the world.

The committee is comprised of private citizens, except for honorary co-chairmen Lieberman and Kyl. The group will focus on education and policy advocacy through newspaper editorials, speeches, congressional testimony and media appearances. It will not endorse political candidates.

Kyl and Lieberman stressed the importance of framing the war on terror as a war of ideas, stating the importance of winning the hearts and minds of the millions of potential recruits for terrorist cells throughout the Middle East.

The U.S. occupation of Iraq and continued presence of American military personnel have complicated attempts to win the allegiance of Arabs and Muslims. This challenge represents the sometimes-contradictory goals of trying to control a country militarily while earning the respect of its citizens.

It's certainly possible to do both simultaneously, but it's very difficult, said Daniel L. Byman, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution's Saban Center for Middle East Policy. Byman said the federal government has not successfully addressed the war of ideas, an abstract concept that would require a coordinated effort of the Pentagon, State Department, Justice Department and the CIA.

That's something that requires a strong lead from the White House, Byman said.

Byman said it is encouraging that the Committee on the Present Danger's leadership understands the importance of the war on ideas and that this is not simply a military conflict.

Terrorism was previously regarded as a law-enforcement problem, Woolsey said. But as Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida have emerged with a unified message of hatred for the United States, the time is right for engaging terrorism on an ideological front, he said.

We fear that many Americans may not fully understand the long-term goals of the enemy we face, Lieberman said.

While the committee was introduced as bipartisan, most of the current members have ties to the Republican Party, the Reagan administration or conservative groups such as the Heritage Foundation. The 1970s version of the committee, according to some political observers, gave birth to the neoconservative movement.

At that time, the committee consisted of labor leaders and other Democrats, many of whom were unhappy with the Carter administration's policy of d��tente, which they considered a disengagement from foreign diplomacy. Upon his election, Ronald Reagan, a former committee member, took numerous members into his administration and initiated a military buildup to counter the Soviets.

Woolsey said that, just as during the Cold War, there may be differences of opinion among elected officials regarding specific tactics. But he said those differences fall within a moderate spectrum and that all Americans agree on the fundamental importance of fighting terrorism.

Lieberman said the timing of the committee's formation will show voters that Republicans and Democrats are unified in the war against terror, despite the partisan rhetoric that will emerge from the upcoming political conventions.

Woolsey said the committee will likely form an executive council to vote on policy positions.

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