ABSTRACT
What and why is terrorism? What can be done about it? Terrorism is undeniably horrific. It kills, maims, and destroys property for political purposes. Few praise terrorism in itself, not now and not in the past. Nevertheless, the practice has persisted for literally thousands of years. In some ways, terrorism is more horrifying than other awful forms of violence, including war, criminal brutality, and psychopathic mayhem, each of which also has a long history. Soldiers in war at least expect violence. Victims of crime at least comprehend violence inflicted for material gain. Those who suffer at the hands of the psychopath may at least attribute loss to fate. Victims and witnesses of terrorist acts, on the other hand, seldom expect the event, cannot easily understand why violence strikes when and where it does, but know that damage is inflicted for a purpose. They are made fearful. That is the immediate purpose.
