e manipulation of events and expectations.
In contemporary society, terror may be induced by the fear of attack by a serial killer, the fear of random shooting by gang members, the fear of the bombing of an airliner by a political group, the fear of a clinic bombing by an anti-abortion group in the United States, or a fear of state terrorism, such as the indiscriminate bombing of villages by armed forces striking the people they can see, whether or not those persons are responsible for the action which harmed the bombing country.
In the ancient world, terror was the basis of tyranny. Over time, many political leaders have adopted terror as one of the tools used to maintain power. Over the century, the causes of terror have changed. What has not changed are (1) the motives for terrorùto gain power or control, and (2) the effects on the human mind of the fear induced by terror. In contemporary society, fear caused by terror ranges from the general to the specific. On a general level, as an example, up until a few years ago millions of people around the world live in fear of nuclear war. This fear was not generated by a specific threat. Rather, it was generated by the existence of nuclear weapons, the knowledge of the effects of such weapons, and a lack of confidence in the possessors of such weapons of a determination not to use them. On a specific level, the residents of an Israeli kibbutz can be sure that Palestinian terrorists will strike at some kibbutz in the country at some time, and residents of drug-infested neighborhoods in Los Angeles can be sure that unprovoked violence will strike one of those neighborhoods on a relatively regular basis.
Modern international terrorism threatens many targetsùUnited States military installations, executives of American multinational corporations, aircraft, and embassies and embassy staffs. Attacks on United States citizens and property until relatively recently have occurr...