The Watch Floor with Sarah Adams

Sarah Adams
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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.

  1. 8h ago

    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 MISSION Parents 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 BOOK Undercover Jihadi: Inside the Toronto 18 An account of his journey through radicalization, his undercover intelligence work, and the terrorist plot he helped disrupt. Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NMR9T46

    Undercover Jihadi: From Radicalization to Counterterrorism with Mubin Shaikh

  2. 2d ago

    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 Over https://a.co/d/06MexgNF 🎙️ Listen to Canadian Intelligence Eh! Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4NTG9pHoct7Rtuhq0cXmsY Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/canadian-intelligence-eh/id1455756173 Podcast Archive: https://borealisthreatandrisk.com/category/podcast/ Connect with Phil Website: https://borealisthreatandrisk.com/ X: https://twitter.com/borealissaves LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-gurski-8942468/ #TheWatchFloor #PhilGurski #Counterterrorism #CanadianIntelligence #NationalSecurity #Terrorism

    Canada’s Terror Threat: The Unfinished Battle with Phil Gurski

  3. 5d ago

    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.com Get his book, School Insecurity:https://a.co/d/03U6plc5

    School Insecurity: The Side With the Best Plan Wins | Wayne Black

  4. Oct 12

    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/Alladdin1983 Substack: https://substack.com/@alladdin1983 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StevenAlEbadi

    From Baghdad to the Green Berets | Steven Al Ebadi

  5. Oct 9

    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.

    Protecting the Congregation: What to Do When a Threat Comes to Church

  6. Oct 7

    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.

    October 7th: The Enemy You Think You Know

  7. Oct 6

    What’s on My Reading List

    I’m doing something a little different on The Watch Floor and sharing what is currently on my reading list. I’m reading Rooftop Korean by Tony Moon now, a firsthand account of the 1992 Los Angeles riots and what happened when communities suddenly found themselves responsible for their own safety. I also have five newer releases on my radar covering Cold War counterintelligence, warning intelligence, jihadist terrorism in Spain, practical preparedness, and protective security. These are not five books I am pretending I have already read and reviewed. They are simply books that caught my attention because they deal with many of the same issues we discuss here: recognizing threats early, understanding what can go wrong, and being better prepared before it does. Books mentioned in this episode: Rooftop Korean: A Memoir of the 1992 L.A. Riots by TonyMoon - https://a.co/d/08YLqD8O The Defector by Richard Kerbaj - https://a.co/d/03Oj815h Predictive Intelligence for Tomorrow’s Threats edited byErik J. Dahl and David Strachan-Morris - https://a.co/d/0hKOBlKv Understanding Spanish Jihadist Terrorism: The Ideology Behind the Metaphors by Carlos Yebra López - https://a.co/d/04S9x9K5 Common Sense Preparedness: Building Resilience for Uncertain Times by Laurie Neverman - https://a.co/d/08tIh7go The Protector’s Edge: Leadership Through Strategy and Actionby Charles Randolph, Jonathan Wackrow, and Fred Burton - https://a.co/d/07ZSqWw9

    What’s on My Reading List

  8. Oct 2

    The Expert Is the Target

    On September 17, the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency released its annual report on foreign efforts to acquire sensitive U.S. technology from the cleared defense industrial base. DCSA received more than 22,000 suspicious-contact reports during fiscal year 2025 and identified roughly 2,900 incidents involving foreign entities seeking U.S. information or technology. The leading method was the exploitation of experts. In this episode of The Watch Floor, I break down what that targeting can actually look like. It may begin with a consulting request, conference invitation, peer review, recruiting approach or research discussion. The interaction can look completely legitimate while giving someone access to the people who understand a technology, its limitations, its supply chain and where development is headed next. We also look at elicitation, front companies and intermediaries, why unclassified knowledge can still have intelligence value, and the warning signs experts should pay attention to when an ordinary professional relationship begins moving in another direction. The episode also covers why former government, intelligence, aerospace and defense personnel remain valuable targets long after their access or clearances are gone. Sometimes the most valuable technology is not sitting inside a secure computer system. It is sitting inside the head of the person who spent twenty years learning how that system works.

    The Expert Is the Target
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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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