Terrorists fail

Terrorists terrify. They go after civilians, non-combatants. They terrify people . . but do they succeed in their aims? Author Max Abrahms has studied that question and says, No.

Groups like AlQaeda and IS may get a lot of media attention for their attacks and temporary campaigns, and it may sound like they're succeeding. 

"But no outright terrorist groups have achieved anything like their goals. Al Qaeda did not drive the U.S. out of the Middle East. Quite the contrary. ISIS doesn’t have a caliphate, or much of anything anymore. Abrahms shows that the same is true of every group that leans on terrorism, instead of fighting military and government targets."

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"So why do groups do it?  . . Ugly human motives like bloodlust and revenge, for the most part. Gather angry young men hungry for status, to show off, or get the chance to kill, rape and steal. Then give them a “cause” that justifies it, and a terrorist group is in business. It might . . cause widespread chaos. What it won’t achieve is the stated goals its members allegedly are serving."