The Counterterrorism Challenge of “Salad Bar” Ideologies

One of the most challenging and perplexing trends among terrorist and extremist groups and individuals is their increasing adoption of an eclectic patchwork of beliefs, what some have referred to as a “salad bar” approach. FBI Director Christopher Wray used this term in testimony before the Senate Homeland Security Committee in September 2020. This perspective was reinforced in a U.S. intelligence community report when it described “a diverse set of violent extremist ideologies” (the report was discussed in the March 18 Security & Resilience Update). Many recent cases demonstrate how this approach can play out, with groups and individuals “trying on” and “shopping around” when it comes to the different ideologies until they find something that “fits.” One trend that counterterrorism experts are watching is eco-fascism, a phenomenon some have labeled “white supremacists going green” because it harnesses classic far-right causes including anti-immigration toward a typically far-left objective – protecting the environment. Both the Christchurch, New Zealand and El Paso, Texas terrorists included elements of eco-fascism in their manifestos. Ideological amalgamation makes counterterrorism more difficult. It requires policymakers, practitioners, and analysts to step outside of their analytic comfort zones and question longstanding assumptions that may be flawed or altogether outdated. Read more at the Soufan Center.