They therefore have high priority in the foreign policy agenda of the Clinton Administration. Perhaps none of these issues has caused Americans more anxiety than terrorism. Terrorism, which we define as politically motivated violence against non-combatants, is an ancient evil, and American interests have been targeted by terrorists abroad for years. Also the two bombings of U.S. forces in Saudi Arabia and the pipe bomb at the Atlanta Olympics. It is a paradox that although terrorism kills relatively few people, compared to other forms of violence, and although the statistical probability of any of us being killed by terrorists is minuscule, we are preoccupied by terrorism, and governments pay extraordinary attention to combating it.
Terrorists strike innocent civilians, often randomly, and without warning.
We think we can protect ourselves against other forms of violence, but we feel defenseless against terrorists. Terrorists know this, and they seek to use intimidation to impose their political or other agendas. Killing is only a means to that end. By creating fear and panic, terrorists try to extort concessions or to weaken and discredit governments by showing they are unable to protect their citizens. Terrorism is also used as low-cost strategic warfare, sometimes by rogue states using surrogates, and sometimes by groups motivated by ideology, religion, or ethnicity to overthrow governments and change the course of history.