An official U.S. intelligence report about the “return” of al-Qaeda has sparked considerable worry, echoing the concerns of those who had never stopped paying attention to the rebounding terrorist group.

Nearly six years after Sept. 11, it stands to reason that al-Qaeda would have regrouped and drawn strength from events such as the conflict in Iraq. The question, of course, is how to respond.

Perhaps now that new evidence underscores how real the threat is, we can have a more productive discussion about counter-measures, including stronger multilateral efforts. The stakes are nothing less than the freedoms that we enjoy – indeed, our entire way of life.

Unfortunately, the global anti-terrorism record is not consistent, which works only to the benefit of al-Qaeda and its affiliates. Just in recent days, we have seen examples of both constructive and destructive practices.

On the positive side, I find the “new era of cooperation” between Britain and France quite refreshing. Not only have British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy vowed to intensify their joint activities against terrorism, but they have agreed to push the U.N. Security Council to deploy thousands of peacekeepers to Darfur in Sudan.

Failing states such Sudan mock human rights and nourish the conditions that breed extremism. The travesty is that the world has allowed the savagery in Darfur – where government-backed militias have killed hundreds of thousands and driven millions from their homes – to drag for so long.

In other respects, the Brown-Sarkozy plan also sends the right signal.

For example, it anticipates establishing a joint counter-terrorism committee that will meet four times yearly and improve the exchange of intelligence.

On the negative side, one need look no further than the ill-advised behavior by Russia last week. It came in the midst of what Russian President Vladimir Putin has termed a diplomatic mini-crisis over the poisoning death of a former Russian spy in London. British officials point to a Russian businessman as the main suspect.

This month, Britain understandably expelled four Russian diplomats to register its ire for Moscow’s failure to display appropriate seriousness in the case. Predictably, Russia retaliated by ordering four British diplomats to leave Moscow.

But Russian officials’ simultaneous declaration that they would halt counterterrorism cooperation with Britain went too far. It almost tempts one to wonder: Have Putin and his inner circle opted to side with the terrorists, those who have declared a war against all?

I seriously doubt it. Still, it makes no sense to convey anything but unanimity and resolve to global terrorists. Putin, who has indicated his belief that the two sides will overcome their differences, could hasten that possibility by reinstating anti-terrorism cooperation with Britain.

If the campaign against terrorism is to succeed, Russia, Britain, France, the United States and others must stand together. And they should develop a true multilateral strategy – with agreed-upon goals – that strives to promote all parties’ interests.

In that effort, they should take a hint from al-Qaeda itself. Much of the reason for the terrorist group’s early success and, in fact, its resurgence, stems from a formidable weapon it wields: unity of action.

With their own version of that weapon, the United States and its allies could wage a more decisive battle against terrorism.