Is fear still being used as a weapon in countries today? Can you think of a modern day example of this?

Yes, fear is still being used as a weapon.

Explanation:

The threat of harming someone can be used as leverage, for example holding someone's loved one against their will, and then asking for something that they want and using the loved one as leverage. North Korea also has used fear as a weapon when they scared the USA with the claims of a "surprise" coming in December.