The Watch Floor with Sarah Adams

A deep look at how ISIS built a systematic child indoctrination program and how it differed across Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Discussion of stages from identity formation to weapons training and the strategic reasons groups target children. Comparisons with Boko Haram, Taliban, Hamas, and Hezbollah. Examination of long-term impacts and the lack of coordinated post-caliphate rehabilitation plans.

A dive into overlooked women in intelligence who built resistance networks, broke codes, and operated behind enemy lines. Stories cover daring transmitters who kept broadcasting, analysts who unmasked moles, and teams who mapped terrorist networks. The episode highlights how classified work, posthumous recognition, and blown cover shaped lives and the hidden ecosystem of human tradecraft.

Lebanon is a small country, but it plays a big role in the region. Problems inside the country, along with pressure from groups like ISIS and Hezbollah and countries like Israel and Iran, mean that what happens in Lebanon can affect U.S. security, stability in the Middle East, and humanitarian issues around the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In today’s episode, Former CIA targeter Sarah Adams analyzes the latest developments in the Nancy Guthrie case, the missing mother of Today Show anchor Savannah Guthrie. She breaks down what the reported ransom note could indicate, how investigators typically assess messages like these, and what law enforcement may be focusing on right now in the ongoing investigation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Breaking news on the capture and transfer of a Benghazi attacker to U.S. soil. Discussion of the suspect’s recruitment of youth and Scout ties. Deep dive into militia networks, Ansar al-Sharia links, and attack coordination. Walkthrough of the investigative trail that led to his arrest and his health and condition upon arrival.

Super Bowl weekend turns a city into a temporary metropolis with big population surges and shifted urban rhythms. Threat zones expand beyond the stadium to hotels, transit, parking and rideshares. Organized pickpocket rings, phone-targeting theft, QR and fake Wi-Fi scams are common. Oversharing location online can invite targeted crime. Large events also raise risks like crowd disorder, trafficking, drugging, and lone-actor attacks.

Over the weekend, Pakistan’s Balochistan province experienced a coordinated wave of terrorist attacks across multiple cities. Here’s what’s critical to understand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today, we’re unpacking how Al Qaeda chooses safe houses, why an old training document still matters, how this tradecraft has evolved, and what the public should actually watch for. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today, we’re going to talk about the CIA’s long game, older operations that most people misunderstand but that are still producing strategic wins today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today, I’m going to show you what an Al Qaeda sleeper looks like, how he was selected, how he was trained, where he is in America, and why the “lone wolf” explanation keeps failing us. Be on the lookout for Ali Khalaf. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices