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The Watch Floor with Sarah Adams: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Sarah Adams
She hunted the world’s most dangerous terrorists. Now, former CIA Targeter Sarah Adams breaks down global news and emerging threats, helping everyday people stay informed, prepared, and ready.
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- 2 weeks ago1h 1m
Resistance Week: The Resistance Fights On | LTG Sami Sadat
The Taliban may currently control Afghanistan, but the fight for the country's future is far from over.In this episode of Resistance Week, I sit down with Lieutenant General Sami Sadat, Chairman of the Afghanistan United Front (AUF), to discuss the ongoing resistance against the Taliban, the growing terrorist threat inside Afghanistan, and what the international community continues to get wrong about the situation on the ground.Sami provides an inside look at the Afghanistan United Front's military operations, including its August offensive involving approximately 100 operations and territorial gains against the Taliban. We discuss the resistance's strategy, its operational capabilities, and why the fight to reclaim Afghanistan is far from finished.We also examine the broader national security implications of Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, including the presence of senior Al-Qaeda Central leaders, concerns about preparations for another major terrorist attack, and the potential threat to the United States.Our conversation also explores China's surveillance relationship with the Taliban, India's reported financial support, and the complicated regional dynamics that continue to shape Afghanistan's future.This is an important conversation about a resistance movement that receives too little international attention, the terrorist organizations operating under Taliban rule, and why what happens in Afghanistan still matters to U.S. national security.Learn more about the Afghanistan United Front and follow its operations:Official website: auf.newsAUF on X: https://x.com/afgunitedfrontFollow LTG Sami Sadat:X: https://x.com/SayedSamiSadatRead Sami Sadat's book:https://a.co/d/06tYD8yg
- 2 weeks ago1h 4m
Resistance Week: The Taliban Hasn't Won | Jazz Cannon
The Taliban controls Afghanistan, but that does not mean the Taliban has won.In the first episode of Resistance Week on The Watch Floor, Sarah Adams sits down with Afghan advocate Jazz Cannon to discuss the ongoing resistance against the Taliban, the international flow of money that has helped sustain the regime, and the Afghans who refuse to give up the fight for their country.Jazz shares her experiences growing up in Kabul, her work challenging the flow of cash to the Taliban, and the difficult realities facing Afghans who continue to resist Taliban rule. The conversation examines how international funding and assistance can strengthen the very regime the international community claims to oppose, and why disrupting those financial flows matters.They also discuss the resistance leaders and movements that continue to challenge the Taliban, the role of Afghan women in that struggle, and the difference between recognizing Afghanistan's harsh realities and accepting defeat.The central message is clear: The Taliban may control Afghanistan, but the resistance is not over.This episode launches Resistance Week, a special series on The Watch Floor featuring individuals working to challenge Taliban rule through advocacy, efforts to disrupt financial support, and resistance on the ground.Connect with Jazz Cannon:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jazz-cannon-195364135/
- 3 weeks ago1h 3m
Undercover Jihadi: From Radicalization to Counterterrorism with Mubin Shaikh
What makes someone embrace violent extremism? What does it take to walk away from it? And how do we prevent the next generation from being recruited?In this episode of The Watch Floor, former CIA Targeting Officer Sarah Adams sits down with Mubin Shaikh, a former Islamist extremist who became an undercover counterterrorism operative and helped dismantle one of Canada's most significant domestic terrorist plots, the Toronto 18.Mubin takes us inside his extraordinary journey, from growing up between two very different worlds in Canada and traveling to Pakistan, where he encountered the Taliban, to embracing radical ideology and eventually rejecting it. He explains how he went from being part of extremist circles to working with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), infiltrating a terrorist network planning attacks on Canadian soil.But this conversation goes beyond his undercover work. We examine how radicalization happens, why young people are particularly vulnerable to extremist recruitment, how terrorist organizations exploit the internet, and what actually works when it comes to countering violent extremism.Today, Mubin works to prevent radicalization and help individuals leave extremist movements, including through his involvement with Parents for Peace, an organization providing families, communities, and professionals with the tools and support needed to recognize warning signs and intervene before violence occurs. This is a conversation about the realities of radicalization, the intelligence work required to stop terrorist attacks, and why prevention must be part of the counterterrorism mission.LEARN MORE AND SUPPORT THE MISSIONParents for Peace: https://www.parents4peace.org/Parents for Peace offers confidential support to families concerned about radicalization, along with intervention services, education, and training to help prevent violent extremism.READ MUBIN SHAIKH'S BOOKUndercover Jihadi: Inside the Toronto 18An account of his journey through radicalization, his undercover intelligence work, and the terrorist plot he helped disrupt.Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NMR9T46
- 3 weeks ago55 min
Canada’s Terror Threat: The Unfinished Battle with Phil Gurski
Is Canada doing enough to confront the terrorist threat, and what has the West failed to learn from more than two decades of counterterrorism operations?This week on The Watch Floor, I’m joined by Phil Gurski, a 32-year veteran of Canada’s intelligence community, former analyst with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and Communications Security Establishment (CSE), author, and host of Canadian Intelligence Eh!We discuss his newest book, 9/11: The Unfinished Battle, and why the threat from jihadist terrorism is far from over. Our conversation examines the terrorist threat facing Canada, the consequences of releasing convicted terrorists back into society, the role of social networks in radicalization, and how accusations of Islamophobia can complicate legitimate terrorism investigations.We also discuss the loss of experienced intelligence professionals, the consequences of Western counterterrorism policies, and why understanding how terrorist organizations recruit, operate, and adapt remains critical to preventing future attacks.Phil brings decades of intelligence experience and a Canadian perspective to a threat that extends well beyond Canada's borders.Learn More About Phil Gurski📖 Buy Phil's New Book: 9/11: The Unfinished Battle: Why Jihadi Terrorism Is Stronger, Wider, and Far From Overhttps://a.co/d/06MexgNF🎙️ Listen to Canadian Intelligence Eh!Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4NTG9pHoct7Rtuhq0cXmsYApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/canadian-intelligence-eh/id1455756173Podcast Archive: https://borealisthreatandrisk.com/category/podcast/Connect with PhilWebsite: https://borealisthreatandrisk.com/X: https://twitter.com/borealissavesLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-gurski-8942468/#TheWatchFloor #PhilGurski #Counterterrorism #CanadianIntelligence #NationalSecurity #Terrorism
- Oct 15, 20261h 3m
School Insecurity: The Side With the Best Plan Wins | Wayne Black
How safe are our schools, and are we doing enough to protect the children inside them?In this episode of The Watch Floor, I sit down with Wayne Black, a veteran security expert and author of School Insecurity, to discuss what effective school security actually looks like and where schools are falling short.Wayne brings more than 45 years of experience in law enforcement, protective security, and threat assessments. He previously served as Security Advisor and Protection Detail Leader for former U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, led security assessments for the Department of Homeland Security, and has conducted protective operations and threat assessments around the world.We discuss the importance of keeping attackers outside school buildings, why security cameras alone are not enough, the role of behavioral threat assessments, and why training and preparation matter long before an emergency occurs.As Wayne explains, “The side with the best plan wins.”School safety requires more than technology, policies, and good intentions. It requires identifying vulnerabilities, understanding threats, and developing plans that work when they are needed most.Learn more about Wayne Black:https://www.wayneblack.comGet his book, School Insecurity:https://a.co/d/03U6plc5
- Oct 12, 20261h 9m
From Baghdad to the Green Berets | Steven Al Ebadi
In this episode of The Watch Floor, I sit down with Steven Al Ebadi, a U.S. Army veteran, former intelligence officer, combat linguist, and journalist whose career includes supporting U.S. Army Special Operations Forces, the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), and the FBI.We discuss his journey from Iraq to serving alongside U.S. forces, the experiences that shaped his career, and his work in intelligence and journalism. Our conversation also covers the consequences of decisions made during the Iraq War, the threats he has faced, and his reporting on the war in Ukraine.Follow Steven Al Ebadi:X: https://x.com/Alladdin1983Substack: https://substack.com/@alladdin1983YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StevenAlEbadi
- Oct 9, 202630 min
Protecting the Congregation: What to Do When a Threat Comes to Church
What would you do if someone opened fire outside your church? Would you recognize signs of a potential threat? And if your children were in Sunday school when an emergency started, would you know how they were being protected?In this episode of The Watch Floor, former CIA Targeting Officer Sarah Adams walks through the threats facing churches and religious communities, from terrorism and targeted violence to suspicious surveillance, theft, arson, and threatening individuals.Drawing on real attacks and her experience briefing churches on security, Sarah explains what warning signs to recognize, when to report suspicious activity, and how to make decisions when a threat becomes an emergency.The episode also covers protecting children's ministries, responding to an active shooter, handling suspicious packages, medical preparedness, and the steps churches can take now to protect their congregations.This is a practical episode for churchgoers, pastors, volunteers, and security teams to save, share, and revisit.Because recognizing a threat is only the beginning. Knowing what to do next could save lives.
- Oct 7, 202624 min
October 7th: The Enemy You Think You Know
October 7th was not simply an intelligence failure. Israel had warning, surveillance, military power, and years of experience watching Hamas. What it lost was enough doubt about whether its own assumptions could be wrong.In this episode of The Watch Floor, I look at the lessons from October 7th that go well beyond Israel. We examine how complacency shaped intelligence assessments, how Hamas studied and attacked Israel’s dependence on technology, why warning indicators were missed, and what happened when the national response became overwhelmed and the fight turned local. I also look at the broader threat environment around Hamas, including training and relationships outside Gaza, and why intelligence services have to understand the enemy they actually have, not the enemy they remember. Most importantly, this episode is about what the United States can learn from those failures before someone tests the same weaknesses here. Complacency does not always look like laziness. Sometimes complacency looks very sophisticated.
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About The Watch Floor with Sarah Adams
She hunted the world’s most dangerous terrorists. Now, former CIA Targeter Sarah Adams breaks down global news and emerging threats, helping everyday people stay informed, prepared, and ready.
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