“Salad Bar Extremism” is the new term coined by government officials in North America to describe terrorism threats that are motivated and mobilized by mixed ideologies. Individuals who are radicalized in this manner incorporate multiple extremist agendas (from white supremacists to involuntary celibacy) into unclear and unstable personal narratives.
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray popularized the use of the term while trying to explain Composite Violent Extremism to the United States Congress four years ago. This particular pattern of radicalization increased in North America during the last decade. It also occurred alongside the polarization of politics and society. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have alerted their respective government leaders about this growing trend in domestic extremism across the region. Additional challenges come from the lone-wolf nature of perpetrators; their isolation from society complicates security agencies’ efforts to detect them before they act.
[Image source] – Anthony Crider (Flickr)
Key Judgement 1. It is possible, if not probable, that the Salad Bar Extremism threat will increase during the next five years.
Key Judgement 2. Salad Bar Extremism appears to be on track to become the main form of violent extremism and domestic terrorism in North America.
Key Judgement 3. Law enforcement and intelligence communities in Canada and the United States will likely struggle to address this new threat.