Project Summary: Motivations of Terrorists What motivates a man like Osama Bin Laden to encourage the use of indiscriminate violence to further his political objectives? How, if at all, do his motivations differ from those of terrorists of a previous generation, such as Carlos the Jackal? Although it is common, even stereotypical, to consider terrorists as all having similar view points, in most cases they are distinctly different. Goals and motivations vary at the organizational and individual levels. Socialization, revenge, and perceived injustice are all possible motivations, but, like causes of terrorism, there is no single explanation behind each act.