A Guide To Spotting Violent Extremists

Every two years since 2015, the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI and the National Counterterrorism Center have published a guide for identifying U.S. -based domestic terrorists before they commit a heinous act.  Titled "U.S. Violent Extremist Mobilization Indicators," the booklet has been updated for the first time since the violent insurrection by a pro-Trump mob on January 6, 2021. Released yesterday, the 34-page 2021 update includes such fairly obvious but ignored indicators as:

• Expressing a hardened point of view or new sense of purpose associated with violent extremist causes, particularly after a catalyzing event,
• Posing with weapons and imagery associated with violent extremism in photos or videos, and
• Deleting, hiding or manipulating social media as part of an effort to conceal a plan for specific act of violence.

As the linked article notes, the Justice Department launched a domestic terrorism unit earlier this month to combat the doubling of suspected violent domestic terrorist actions currently under investigation. The "if you see something, say something" mantra that applies to seeing something unusual in public places applies just as well to someone exhibiting the kinds of behavior, opinions, and associations discussed in the booklet, now more than ever.

(photo: "Oath Keepers" extremists at the Capitol on January 6. Jim Bourg/Reuters)