What is the purpose of terrorism?
Terrorism
to create terror among masses of people; or fear to achieve a religious or political aim
Terrorism is, in the broadest sense, the use of intentionally indiscriminate violence as a means to create terror among masses of people; or fear to achieve a religious or political aim.[1] It is used in this regard primarily to refer to violence during peacetime or in war against non-combatants.[2] The terms "terrorist" and "terrorism" originated during the French Revolution of the late 18th century[3] but gained mainstream popularity during the U.S. presidency of Ronald Reagan (1981–89) after the 1983 Beirut barracks bombings[4] and again after the 2001 September 11 attacks[5][4][6] and the 2002 Bali bombings.[4]