If they’re truly superfluous then they waste the time of both sides, but it’s the prosecution who get to decide whether or not to include a charge. The prosecution might not be holding out real hope of a conviction on the highest charges, but by including them they could include additional witnesses and evidence that will be heard by a jury and change their perception even on the more realistic charges, which the defense would have to react to.

Again, all hypothetical. For all I know theyre confident in the terrorism charge

But realistically criminal charges are a negotiation, and most of the work happens outside the courtroon