US visa discrimination

I am seeking some explanation from the local US authorities regarding visa requirements to enter the US. What is the reason that Malta was not deemed eligible to qualify for the US visa waiver programme?

Maltese citizens seeking to enter the US require a valid passport with a valid visa. On the contrary, most EU citizens do not need any visa to enter the US.

Evidently, this is pure discrimination against the Maltese people, especially when one takes into account the fact that American people do not need a visa to visit these shores.

I have tried to understand the reasoning behind the imposition of a visa requirement. Usually, the host country adopts such restrictions to establish that prospective aliens/visitors hold sufficient funds necessary to finance their stay in the country of destination.

Alternatively, one can argue that the reason could be security concerns.

I ask the US authorities: Are the Maltese involved in any al Qaeda terrorism or other terrorist group? Why are the Maltese not treated like their EU counterparts?