Editing Terrorism (section)

===Choice of terrorism as a tactic===
Individuals and groups choose terrorism as a tactic because it can:
* Act as a form of [[asymmetric warfare]] in order to directly force a government to agree to demands
* Intimidate a group of people into capitulating to the demands in order to avoid future injury
* Get attention and thus political support for a cause
* Directly inspire more people to the cause (such as revolutionary acts) – [[propaganda of the deed]]
* Indirectly inspire more people to the cause by provoking a hostile response or over-reaction from enemies to the cause<ref name="Think">[https://think.kera.org/2016/04/05/the-meaning-behind-extremism/ The Psychology Of Terrorism] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230610075734/https://think.kera.org/2016/04/05/the-meaning-behind-extremism/ |date=June 10, 2023 }}, audio interview summarizing [https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/special-report-the-psychology-of-terrorism/ Special Report: The Psychology of Terrorism] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230610075734/https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/special-report-the-psychology-of-terrorism/ |date=June 10, 2023 }}</ref>

Attacks on "collaborators" are used to intimidate people from cooperating with the state in order to undermine state control. This strategy was used in Ireland, in [[Kenya]], in [[Algeria]] and in [[Cyprus]] during their independence struggles.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MtRBDwAAQBAJ&q=Attacks+on+%27collaborators%27+are+used+to+intimidate+people+from+cooperating+with+the+state+in+order+to+undermine+state+control.+This+strategy+was+used+in+Ireland%2C+in+Kenya%2C+in+Algeria+and+in+Cyprus+during+their+independence+struggles&pg=PT247|title=Handbook of Emergency Management Concepts: A Step-by-Step Approach|last=Madigan|first=Michael L.|date=December 6, 2017|publisher=CRC Press|isbn=9781351337472|language=en|access-date=October 29, 2020|archive-date=March 29, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329132957/https://books.google.com/books?id=MtRBDwAAQBAJ&q=Attacks+on+%27collaborators%27+are+used+to+intimidate+people+from+cooperating+with+the+state+in+order+to+undermine+state+control.+This+strategy+was+used+in+Ireland%2C+in+Kenya%2C+in+Algeria+and+in+Cyprus+during+their+independence+struggles&pg=PT247#v=snippet&q=Attacks%20on%20'collaborators'%20are%20used%20to%20intimidate%20people%20from%20cooperating%20with%20the%20state%20in%20order%20to%20undermine%20state%20control.%20This%20strategy%20was%20used%20in%20Ireland%2C%20in%20Kenya%2C%20in%20Algeria%20and%20in%20Cyprus%20during%20their%20independence%20struggles&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref>

Stated [[motives for the September 11 attacks]] included inspiring more fighters to join the cause of repelling the United States from Muslim countries with a successful high-profile attack. The attacks prompted some criticism from domestic and international observers regarding perceived injustices in U.S. foreign policy that provoked the attacks, but the larger practical effect was that the United States government declared a [[War on Terror]] that resulted in substantial military engagements in several Muslim-majority countries. Various commentators have inferred that [[al-Qaeda]] expected a military response and welcomed it as a provocation that would result in more Muslims fight the United States. Some commentators believe that the resulting anger and suspicion directed toward innocent Muslims living in Western countries and the indignities inflicted upon them by security forces and the general public also contributes to radicalization of new recruits.<ref name="Think" /> Despite criticism that the Iraqi government had no involvement with the September 11 attacks, Bush declared the [[2003 invasion of Iraq]] to be part of the War on Terror. The resulting backlash and instability enabled the rise of [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant]] and the temporary creation of an Islamic caliphate holding territory in Iraq and Syria, until ISIL lost its territory through military defeats.

Attacks used to draw international attention to struggles that are otherwise unreported have included the [[Dawson's Field hijackings|Palestinian airplane hijackings in 1970]] and the [[1975 Dutch train hostage crisis]].