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National Security

The broader security picture: institutions, threats, policy choices, and the work of protecting the country.

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Briefing work

At the briefing table

Current assessments and intelligence-style work connected to this subject.

Watch Floor Brief

Train for the Day the System Goes Dark

Do not just train for the attack. Train for the failure of the systems you expect to help you respond to it.

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Watch Floor Brief

The Expert Is the Target

On September 17, the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency released its fiscal year 2025 report on foreign efforts to acquire sensitive U.S. technology from the cleared…

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Watch Floor Brief

See Something, Say Something: What Are You Actually Looking For?

A Watch Floor brief on recognizing behavior in context, reporting a useful observation, and building the handoff that gets a warning to the people who can…

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Watch Floor Brief

How Russia Outsourced an Assassination in America

A companion memo to the September 21 Watch Floor episode. The indictment describes a layered recruitment network, completed surveillance in the U.S., and alleged assassination and…

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Watch Floor Brief

Washington Is Coming Back

The House is back after the August recess, the Senate returns for regular business September 14, and Washington is beginning to move again. The useful things…

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Watch Floor Brief

10 Warnings Buried in Congress’s New 9/11 Report

Twenty-five years after 9/11, the House Intelligence Committee reviewed what the U.S. fixed, what remains unfinished, and where new intelligence gaps may be forming. These are…

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Watch Floor Brief

The Oil War Behind the Headlines

The fighting around the Strait of Hormuz and Washington’s new Venezuela oil agreement look like separate stories. Viewed through energy security, they are part of the…

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Watch Floor Brief

The Intelligence Value of a Plane Spotter

A Chinese university student studying in Canada is in U.S. custody after the FBI says he admitted photographing specific aircraft and airport facilities for a contact…

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Watch Floor Brief

Someone Is Studying Europe’s Defense Supply Chain

Just after midnight Monday, an alarm sounded at a WB Electronics facility in Skarżysko-Kamienna, Poland. Local reporting said a masked person carrying a backpack was captured…

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Watch Floor Brief

85 Americans Missing in the Himalayas

A catastrophic glacier collapse along the Nepal-Tibet border left thousands dead or missing, including approximately 85 Americans. Many of the Americans were pilgrims traveling to or…

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Watch Floor Brief

Abbey Gate: The Twelve Days Before the Bomb

Five years after the Abbey Gate bombing, this brief reconstructs the twelve days before the attack: the authorization, the bomber’s release and movement, the network around…

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Watch Floor Brief

What the Heck Happened in Ceuta, Spain?

Tens of thousands of people converged on Ceuta after a legal ruling was distorted online, social media amplified the perception of an open border, and authorities…

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Watch Floor Brief

Five Years After Kabul, History Is Repeating Itself

Five years after Kabul fell, Afghanistan should not be understood simply as the end of America’s longest war. It marked the beginning of another cycle in…

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Watch Floor Brief

U.S.-Iran Negotiations: The Sixty-Day Clock

As of this week, the United States and Iran are operating under an interim memorandum of understanding reached following the 2026 conflict. Despite some headlines suggesting…

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Watch Floor Brief

The Chinese Border Surge Is Over. The Network It Built Is Not.

The surge of Chinese nationals arriving at America's borders between 2021 and 2024 has largely disappeared from the headlines. Border encounters have fallen dramatically across both…

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Watch Floor Brief

Ebola Returns: What Worked Last Time and What Didn’t

The return of Ebola to international headlines is a reminder that some threats never disappear; they simply fade from public attention until conditions allow them to…

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Watch Floor Brief

Cuba at the Breaking Point: Law, Pressure, and the Next Phase of U.S. Strategy

The recent federal indictment of former Cuban leader Raúl Castro over the 1996 shootdown of two civilian aircraft operated by Brothers to the Rescue is being…

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Watch Floor Brief

Operation Tidal Wave

Operation Tidal Wave was not simply a cruise ship scandal. It was a clear example of how modern digital exploitation investigations are now conducted: quietly, internationally,…

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Watch Floor Brief

Logistics as a Vulnerability

Fifteen agricultural spray drones were stolen from a logistics warehouse in New Jersey around March 24, 2026. The removal did not involve forced entry or overt…

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Watch Floor Brief

Failure of Islamabad Talks and Implications for the Two-Week Ceasefire

The recent U.S.–Iran negotiations in Islamabad concluded without an agreement after roughly 21 hours of direct discussions. The talks, facilitated by Pakistan and involving senior U.S.…

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Watch Floor Brief

Looking for Terrorism the Wrong Way

A recent U.S. Army counterintelligence and antiterrorism awareness message reminded personnel to remain vigilant and report suspicious behavior that could threaten U.S. forces, installations, or infrastructure.…

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Watch Floor Brief

Chinese Intrusion into an FBI Surveillance Metadata System

Recent reporting indicates that suspicious activity was detected within a system connected to surveillance metadata used by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Investigators believe the intrusion…

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Watch Floor Brief

Testing the System: Russia’s Parcel Bomb Probes Inside Europe’s Shipping Network

A cardboard box rarely looks like a weapon. That is exactly what makes this story worth paying attention to. European investigators recently uncovered a covert operation…

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Watch Floor Brief

Post-Iranian Strikes: A Threat Assessment

We are at a consequential moment. Credible indicators suggest Ali Khamenei is likely dead, creating a destabilizing shock within the Iranian regime. Leadership transitions in hardline…

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Watch Floor Brief

Someone Has to Own It: State-Level Counterintelligence & Counterterrorism

There is a structural gap in how we handle counterintelligence and counterterrorism in this country. We default to the federal government, the Federal Bureau of Investigation…

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Watch Floor Brief

The Underrated Threat: When a Resume Becomes a Weapon

For two decades, Western cybersecurity strategy focused on infrastructure. We hardened networks, segmented environments, deployed detection systems, and institutionalized zero trust frameworks. And it worked to…

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Watch Floor Brief

Inside Somali Fraud: How the System Was Gamed

Recent federal prosecutions and government actions have exposed a broad pattern of fraud tied to Somali-linked networks exploiting U.S. taxpayer-funded programs. While individual cases are often…

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Watch Floor Brief

From Strategic Warning to Strategic Drift

As 2026 begins, it is necessary to acknowledge a fundamental reality: the counterterrorism recalibration called for at the start of 2025 did not occur. Despite clear…

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Watch Floor Brief

Symbolic Significance of 2 Rajab 1447 in Al-Qaeda’s Homeland Plotting

Al-Qaeda senior operatives and external operations planners, under the direction of the organization’s second generation of bin Laden leadership, originally plotted the next phase of U.S.…

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Watch Floor Brief

Lessons from October 7th: A Warning for America

Technology, human intelligence, community readiness, exercises, escalation planning, and ignored warnings all carry lessons for the United States.

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Watch Floor Brief

Abbey Gate’s Red Umbrella: A Beacon Then, a Warning Now

The red umbrella at Abbey Gate in Kabul, Afghanistan before the 2021 attack emerged as an unassuming yet vital beacon amidst the chaos of the evacuation.…

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Watch Floor Brief

The Bin Laden Legacy and the Renewed Threat to the Homeland

The Bin Laden family is actively shaping operational plans for a large-scale attack on the U.S. homeland—an attack intended to eclipse the strategic and symbolic impact…

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Watch Floor Brief

U.S. Hostages and the Cost of Inaction

New reporting from June 15th, 2025, has reignited outrage over the fate of missing American journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared in Syria in 2012. According to…

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Watch Floor Brief

The Second Wave: Afghanistan’s Expanding Tier-Two Terrorist Threat

While most of our attention has remained fixed on al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and the Islamic State—Khorasan Province (ISKP), there is an increasingly dangerous layer of transnational…

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Watch Floor Brief

Key Lessons from Saif al-Adel’s Strategic Thinking

As Saif al-Adel emerges as a key architect in al-Qaeda’s upcoming plots against the U.S. soil emanating from Afghanistan, it’s critical to examine his strategic mindset.…

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Watch Floor Brief

Riyadh Revisited: Lessons from a Complex Attack and Implications for Homeland Defense

On this date in 2003, a series of coordinated suicide bombings struck residential compounds in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, targeting Western nationals. Orchestrated by al-Qaeda, these attacks…

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Watch Floor Brief

What If? A Modernized Bojinka-Style Plot on U.S. Soil

Remembering Bojinka: In 1995, Operation Bojinka revealed how a handful of well-trained terrorists could coordinate multiple airliner bombings by exploiting gaps in aviation security. Law enforcement…

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Watch Floor Brief

Al-Shabaab’s Strategic Advance Toward Mogadishu

Al-Qaeda is increasingly encouraged by the momentum of its affiliate in Somalia, al-Shabaab, as the group makes a calculated push toward Mogadishu. This is not merely…

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Watch Floor Brief

ISKP Hospital Threat and Multi-Phase Attack Strategies in the U.S. Homeland

Islamic State—Khorasan Province (ISKP) has intensified its focus on targeting mid-tier cities within the United States, aiming to disrupt emergency services and sideline first responders. Hospitals…

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Watch Floor Brief

Jihadi Genealogy: Exploiting Family Ties for Targeting

The elimination of the head of the military council of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Abdullah Maki Musleh Al-Rifai, known as Abu…

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Watch Floor Brief

A Legacy of Terror – 2025 Marks Key Anniversaries of Major al-Qaeda Plots

This year marks several critical anniversaries of al-Qaeda’s past attacks and failed plots, each of which has shaped the group’s evolving strategy and remains a blueprint…

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Watch Floor Brief

Enhancing Counterterrorism Capabilities at the State and Local Level: Strengthening Local Capabilities

With the federal government’s loss of extensive counterterrorism (CT) access overseas, its ability to detect and disrupt terrorist plots before they reach U.S. soil has been…

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Watch Floor Brief

Enhancing Counterterrorism Capabilities at the State and Local Level: Expanding Regional Resiliency

As we continue to build upon last week’s foundational strategies, it is clear that expanding specialized capabilities is a key pillar of strengthening local counterterrorism efforts.…

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Watch Floor Brief

Intelligence Brief: The Threat of Terrorist Impersonation of Police, Military, and First Responders in U.S. Plots

Terrorist organizations like al-Qaeda and ISIS have a long history of employing deceptive tactics, including the use of disguises, to carry out attacks. Both groups have…

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Watch Floor Brief

Intelligence Brief: Sweden’s Security Challenges and Immigration-Related Factors

In January 2025 alone, Sweden recorded 32 bombing incidents, marking a sharp increase in such attacks. This alarming trend is closely linked to criminal gang activity,…

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Watch Floor Brief

Evolution of al-Qaeda’s Invisible Bomb

Al-Qaeda’s interest in undetectable bombs gained traction in the early 2000s, particularly under the guidance of explosives experts seeking to exploit gaps in Western security systems.…

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Watch Floor Brief

Duplicity and Misinformation: The Taliban’s Strategy to Garner U.S. Taxpayer Dollars

The U.S. government's acknowledgment of the Taliban's purported counterterrorism efforts against the Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISKP) has become a cornerstone of its post-withdrawal policy in Afghanistan.…

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Watch Floor Brief

An Evolved Counterterrorism Strategy for 2025

As we begin the new year, our intelligence and law enforcement communities must recalibrate their approach to counterterrorism. The fragmented and siloed methods of bucketing individual…

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Watch Floor Brief

Missing Radioactive Material: Facts Over Fear

When a small radioactive source went missing in New Jersey, headlines skewed toward worst-case scenarios, fueling public anxiety and conspiracy theories. Understanding the actual facts behind…

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Watch Floor Brief

Ongoing Threats to Christmas Markets and Potential Exploitation by Pro-Hamas Groups

As the holiday season approaches, the risk of terrorist attacks targeting Christmas markets, particularly across Europe, appears heightened. This includes both traditional threats, primarily from terrorist…

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Watch Floor Brief

Embassies Under Fire: Al-Qaeda’s Covert Attack Strategy

Al-Qaeda’s central leadership in Afghanistan is actively plotting attacks on embassies across Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. This continues their long-standing strategy of targeting U.S.…

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Watch Floor Brief

Underestimating the Enemy: Lessons from Pearl Harbor and Beyond

As we approach the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, it is crucial to reflect on the enduring lessons of that fateful day. On December…

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Watch Floor Brief

Understanding the Origins and Rationale Behind the 2017 Travel Restrictions

Last Saturday, October 26th, after former President and current Republican nominee Donald J. Trump received endorsements from elements of Michigan’s Muslim community, misinformation resurfaced regarding the…

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Watch Floor Brief

The Unintended Consequence: How U.S. Post-9/11 Strategy Strengthened al-Qaeda

In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, the United States undertook an unprecedented restructuring of its counterterrorism and national security infrastructure. This response resulted in the…

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Watch Floor Brief

Strategic Implications of Abandoned U.S. and ISAF Military Bases in Afghanistan

The withdrawal of U.S. and International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) from Afghanistan in 2021 has left behind a network of military and intelligence bases that offer…

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Watch Floor Brief

Legacy of the 1983 Beirut Marine Barracks Bombings: Unfinished Justice

On July 30, 2024, senior Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr aka Hajj Mohsin was killed in an Israeli airstrike on a residential building in a Hezbollah…

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Watch Floor Brief

Potential Threats to the Paris Olympic Games

The upcoming Paris Olympic Games, scheduled to begin on July 26th, is preparing for a host of threats. While numerous actors could potentially disrupt the Games,…

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Research & source work

Go deeper

Investigations, reports, letters, source work, and earlier research that add context.

Investigation / Report

Hamza bin Laden: Know Thy Enemy

An investigation into Hamza bin Laden’s survival, leadership role, family network, and place inside Al-Qaeda’s evolving structure.

Open investigation
Earlier Work

Sleeper Cells Aren’t New—What’s New Is How These Groups Are Coming Together

An examination of how terrorist networks converge, coordinate, and adapt across organizational lines.

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Earlier Work

Al-Qaeda: 23 Years After 9/11 and Still a Global Threat

A look at Al-Qaeda’s endurance, adaptation, and expanded global reach more than two decades after September 11.

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Outside publications

Published elsewhere

Magazine, journal, and outside publication work that belongs on this path.

Published Article · The Daily Wire · Analysis

Teen Terrorists: Why The Turn To Radical Ideology Is Starting Earlier Than Ever

A Daily Wire analysis by Sarah Adams examining why radicalization is reaching younger audiences and what the shift means for threat awareness and prevention.

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Published Article · SOFREP · Analysis

Hamza bin Laden and What Türkiye and Qatar Were Really Discussing With the Taliban

Sarah Adams analyzes the September 2026 Taliban meetings involving Türkiye and Qatar, Hamza bin Laden, the Doha framework, and regional militant networks in this SOFREP article.

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Published Article · SOFREP · Investigation

The Hidden History of One Benghazi Cell: The German Terrorists Who Joined the Attack

Fourteen years after Benghazi, the public still knows far more about Washington’s response than it does about the international terrorist network that assembled the attacking force.…

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Published Article · The Daily Wire · Analysis

The 9/11 Files Show America Heard The Warning And Missed The War

Newly declassified 9/11 files show that warnings about Osama bin Laden and attacks inside the U.S. were reaching the highest levels of government years before September…

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Published Article · Afghanistan International · Investigation

Inside the Taliban Intelligence Operation That Killed Hasib Panjshiri

A reconstruction of the Taliban intelligence operation that penetrated resistance contacts, tracked Hasib Panjshiri’s movement, and led to the August 20 ambush in Salang.

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Published Article · SOFREP · Analysis

Ukraine’s Spy Agencies Just Started Shooting at Each Other

A shootout between Ukraine’s SBU and military intelligence exposed something more dangerous than bureaucratic rivalry: a breakdown in operational deconfliction during an active intelligence war with…

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Published Article · The Daily Wire · Analysis

Congress Just Admitted A Key 9/11 Security Gap Remains

Twenty-five years after 9/11, one of the border-security reforms recommended by the 9/11 Commission remains unfinished: a comprehensive biometric entry-exit system.

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Published Article · The Daily Wire · Analysis

The Next School Shooter May Have A Secret Assistant

Artificial intelligence is beginning to appear in school attacks and disrupted plots involving young people. The question is when scattered online behavior becomes a warning pattern…

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Published Article · The Daily Wire · Investigation

The Terrorist On Campus

A convicted ISIS supporter returned to Old Dominion University after federal prison. The university never knew his terrorism history until after he attacked an ROTC classroom,…

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Published Article · Domestic Preparedness

The Cost of Ignoring Weak Informational Signals

Major crises rarely arrive without warning. The challenge is recognizing when scattered signals begin pointing in the same direction and acting while meaningful options still exist.

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Published Article · Modern War Institute

No Place to Hide: Warfare in the Age of Persistent Observation

What Ukraine is revealing about observation, concealment, adaptation, and the assumptions shaping the next war.

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Published Article · The Diplomat

Inside the Taliban’s New Military Formation on the Durand Line

A closer look at the Taliban’s evolving military posture, regional pressure, and the networks shaping the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

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The Commons

Put it to work

Practical guidance from The Commons for turning lessons into capability.

Commons Guide

Recognizing the Indicators of a Possible Suicide Bomber

A public-safety brief on observable warning signs, avoiding stereotypes, creating distance, and reporting a concern without confronting the person yourself.

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Commons Guide

Recognizing a Chemical Attack and What to Do

How to recognize a possible chemical release, create distance, reduce secondary contamination, decontaminate safely, and follow official instructions.

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Commons Guide

Recognizing a Biological Attack and What to Do

Why biological incidents can be difficult to see at first, what public-health patterns matter, and how families and communities should respond to official guidance.

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Commons Guide

Digital Hygiene for Law Enforcement and First Responders

A practical OPSEC brief for reducing doxxing exposure, protecting family information, hardening accounts, and responding when personal information is published online.

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Commons Guide

10 Community Counterterrorism Readiness Priorities

A state-and-local readiness checklist covering communications, command, medical response, HAZMAT, hospitals, digital resilience, community expertise, private partners, and exercises.

Open the checklist
Commons Guide

Tabletop Exercise: Capitol Complex Multi-Site Attack

A response-focused discussion exercise for testing unified command, credential verification, mass-casualty coordination, public messaging, continuity, and a second wave of incidents.

Run the exercise
Commons Guide

Tabletop Exercise: Johnstown Veterans Event and Multi-Site Attack

A discussion exercise for a smaller jurisdiction focused on a veterans event, limited resources, mutual aid, hospital surge, credential verification, and a second incident.

Run the exercise
Commons Guide

Tabletop Exercise: Tampa Armature Works and a Multi-Site Attack

A Tampa-area discussion exercise testing venue coordination, traffic and crowd movement, responder identity, hospital surge, misinformation, and a second wave of incidents.

Run the exercise
Commons Guide

S-MARCH: A Calm Order for the First Minutes

A responsible memory aid for prioritizing safety, severe bleeding, airway, breathing, circulation, shock, head injury, and heat loss while help is coming.

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Commons Guide

The Gathering Storm: Ask the Right Questions Before the Crisis

A practical Commons companion to The Gathering Storm, focused on asking the right questions about terrorism threats, readiness gaps, local responsibility, and what communities can prepare…

Ask the right questions
Commons Guide

Keep Your Options Open

Practical guidance for moving safely through crowded events, transportation systems, transition points, and rapidly changing conditions.

Open brief
Commons Guide

When the Plan Stops Fitting

A brief on avoiding assumption lock, training with imperfect information, and building adaptation into preparedness.

Open brief
Commons Guide

Open Doors, Thoughtful Plans

A layered, care-centered approach to safety for churches and other houses of worship.

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Books & enduring work

From the shelves

Books, collaborations, and other enduring material that helps round out the subject.

In Print · Policy Wire

Exclusive Battle Damage Assessment: CIA Veteran Sarah Adams Details Pakistan’s Airstrikes in Afghanistan

Policy Wire cites Sarah Adams’s assessment of Pakistan’s September 21 strikes in Afghanistan, including the reported militant casualties and the importance of accurate coverage of civilian…

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Documentary collaboration · The Daily Wire

Is History Repeating Itself?

What happens in Afghanistan does not stay in Afghanistan. Twenty-five years after 9/11, this documentary collaboration with The Daily Wire examines what has returned to Afghanistan…

Watch the documentary
In Print · The National Desk / Local 12

Former CIA Officer Warns U.S. Shift Leaves Gaps as Al-Qaida Regroups in Afghanistan

Twenty-five years after 9/11, Sarah Adams discusses the danger of counterterrorism gaps as U.S. attention shifts toward great-power competition and al-Qaida rebuilds in Afghanistan.

Read the interview
Sarah's Shelf

Spies and Lies

Alex Joske examines Chinese intelligence and influence networks through open-source research into the Ministry of State Security and its global fronts.

View book
Sarah's Shelf

House of Huawei

Eva Dou traces how technology, industrial strategy, state power, intelligence collection, and one company became intertwined in geopolitical competition.

View book
Analysis

The UFC Plot: The Ideology No One Wants to Talk About

Opening Welcome to The Watch Floor. I'm Sarah Adams. Over the couple of last weeks, you've probably heard about the alleged plot against UFC Freedom 250.…

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Analysis

Do Not Put Al-Qaeda’s Friends in Congress

Welcome to The Watch Floor. I’m Sarah Adams. Today we are talking about Adam Hamawy HAM ah Wee, the Democratic nominee in New Jersey’s 12th Congressional…

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Analysis

The New Domestic Threat Category Nobody Saw Coming

Wired article: https://www.wired.com/story/us-law-enforcement-warns-of-anti-tech-extremism/ Over the last several years, the United States has seen a massive expansion of artificial intelligence infrastructure. Huge data centers are being built…

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Sarah's Shelf

The Axis of Resistance

Hamidreza Azizi traces the rise, transformation, and fragmentation of Iran’s regional network and its struggle with Israel and the wider Middle East order.

View book
Analysis

Pre-Attack Indicators: What We Could Have Seen Before the White House Correspondents Dinner Incident

Intro Everyone is talking about the aftermath of the attack at the White House Correspondents Dinner—the response, the security questions, and what failed in the moment.…

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Analysis

What People Get Wrong About Intelligence Work

So I wanted to do a more relaxed episode on this because I think there’s a pretty big gap between what people think intelligence work is…

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Sarah's Shelf

The Troubled American Way of War

John Arquilla examines American military strategy from Hiroshima through the age of algorithms, including the growing role of information, computation, and AI.

View book
In Print · The European Conservative

U.S. and Iran Agree on Two-Week Ceasefire

The European Conservative includes Sarah Adams’s public analysis of U.S.–Iran negotiations and escalation risks.

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Analysis

Palm Sunday in the Shadow of Persecution Christians Under Fire Around the World

Palm Sunday, observed around the world, is meant to be a time of peace, reflection, and faith. But this year, in multiple regions, it unfolded in…

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Analysis

What They Said and What They Didn’t: Breaking Down the Terrorism Threat

I just read the bolded sections of the new ODNI Threat Assessment that can be found here starting on page 7 under the Terrorism section, then…

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In Print · LibyaReview

US Analyst Credits LNA Operations With Blocking Terrorist Stronghold in Libya

LibyaReview covers Sarah Adams’s commentary on the LNA campaign against extremist groups in eastern Libya.

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Sarah's Shelf

Code War

Allie Mellen examines how nation-state cyber operations function as instruments of power and how geopolitics shapes the digital battlefield.

View book
Analysis

Decision Logic Behind Terrorist Attacks

Intro When most people think about the Decision Logic Behind Terrorist Attacks they think about ideology. They think belief comes first—and that belief drives everything that…

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In Print · 97.3 The Dawg

Ex-CIA Officer Warns Known Terrorist Operating in Louisiana

97.3 The Dawg covers Sarah Adams’s public warning concerning suspected terrorist activity in Louisiana.

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Analysis

AI Isn’t Just a Tool — It’s Becoming a Cyber Espionage Weapon

Here’s a couple clips on this: https://youtu.be/xKfVxHyzB3g?si=vtzJPCSu_89apTLv https://youtu.be/JNn9hnPYXa4?si=trayGOQGVuMx1b0m Intro We’ve all heard the warnings about artificial intelligence — deepfakes, job automation, ethical debates. But here’s the…

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Analysis

The Signs Most People Miss Before Attacks

A Practical Guide to Recognizing PreAttack Behavior Anyone Can Spot Intro: When people think of terrorism, the images that come to mind are usually dramatic: explosions,…

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Analysis

Espionage Off the Radar: Weird, Wild, and Under-Reported Spy Operations

Today, I want to take you into a world most people never hear about—espionage that’s weird, audacious, and happening right now… but off the radar in…

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Analysis

Held Hostage: America’s Citizens as Political Leverage

In today’s episode we’re talking about Hostage Diplomacy — not in abstract terms, but through the real human lives of Americans held hostage abroad — and…

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Analysis

Havana Syndrome: The Attacks Didn’t Start in Havana

Intro Let’s start by getting something out of the way. This episode is about Havana Syndrome — and it is not about stress.It’s not about mass…

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Analysis

Heroic Operations: How the BLA Is Running a Phased Terrorist Campaign

Over the weekend, Pakistan’s Baluchistan province experienced a coordinated wave of terrorist attacks spanning multiple cities. What is critical to understand from the outset is: These…

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Analysis

The Terrorist Playbook: Saif al-Adel’s 33 Strategies and How to Think Like the Enemy

Intro When most people think about terrorism, they imagine chaos. They imagine revenge.Impulse.Irrational actors. That image is comforting. Because it suggests these groups are reckless —…

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Analysis

Lebanon in the Regional Crosshairs

Intro When we talk about the Middle East, countries like Syria, Iran, and Israel dominate headlines. Lebanon? Not so much. And yet, today Lebanon sits at…

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Analysis

The Mind of the Lone Wolf

"They act alone. They plan in silence, hidden behind screens, isolated from the world around them. No meetings, no hierarchies, no orders from above — just…

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Analysis

Blind Vetting: The Truth About Afghanistan’s Incomplete and Compromised Biometrics

An examination of gaps in Afghan biometric data, the consequences for post-2021 vetting, and the risks created when identity systems are incomplete or compromised.

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In Print · Hasht-e Subh Daily

Why Was Lakhanwal Labeled a “Refugee” Rather Than an “American-Trained Veteran”?

Hasht-e Subh cites Sarah Adams’s account of Rahmanullah Lakhanwal’s background in Afghan counterterrorism forces trained by the United States.

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In Print · El Media

CIA Report Details on the Attack Against the Taliban Leader and His Security Structure

El Media reports on Sarah Adams’s analysis of the alleged attempt against the Taliban leader and his protective network.

Read the article
In Print · Homeland Security Today

Sarah Adams, Ex-CIA Targeter, Warns of In-Motion Al-Qaeda Plot Targeting U.S. Homeland

Homeland Security Today reports on Sarah Adams’s warning about an alleged al-Qaeda homeland plot and her call for stronger preparedness.

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Guest appearance · Amu TV · MAWJ

MAWJ: Sarah Adams on Al-Qaeda, 24 Years After 9/11

Amu TV’s MAWJ interviews Sarah Adams about Al-Qaeda, its relationship with the Taliban, and threats to regional and U.S. security.

Listen / watch
In Print · Afghanistan International

Ex-CIA Officer Publishes Photos Of Taliban Officials’ Wives In Protest

Afghanistan International covers Sarah Adams’s protest of Taliban restrictions on Afghan women’s identity photographs.

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In Print · Afghanistan International

Two ISIS Members Killed In Kabul Raid, Claims Taliban

Afghanistan International references Sarah Adams’s criticism of Taliban claims concerning a June 2025 Kabul raid.

Read the article
Fox News Radio · Jason Chaffetz Podcast

Investigating The 2012 Bengazhi Attacks

Sarah Adams joins Jason Chaffetz to discuss the 2012 Benghazi attack, her experience in Libya, and why counterterrorism warnings remain important.

Listen to the interview
In Print · KabulNow

Russian Security Chief Warns of Intensified ISIS Activity in Afghanistan

KabulNow coverage of Russian warnings about ISIS activity in Afghanistan. Included for the reporting that references Sarah Adams’s assessments where applicable.

Read the article
Podcast Archive · INTEL FOCUS

How Intelligence Operations and Militancy Evolve in a Post-Taliban Afghanistan with Sarah Adams

INTEL FOCUS hosts an episode page and summary of The Intelligence Spotlight conversation with Sarah Adams about Afghanistan and counterterrorism.

Read and listen
Sarah's Shelf

Book Review: The Gathering Storm — Own Your Readiness

The Gathering Storm, put together by the contributors of Task Force Pineapple, delivers a straightforward and urgent wake-up call about the ongoing and changing threats facing…

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Analysis

The Pen That Could Kill: A Missed Warning from 2019

A Watch Floor brief examining a low-signature threat uncovered in Turkey in 2019 and the broader challenge of recognizing emerging terrorist technologies before they become familiar.

Read summary
In Print · WORLD

Al-Qaeda’s Army Is Ready

WORLD discusses Sarah Adams’s warnings about al-Qaeda and the need to take counterterrorism preparedness seriously.

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In Print · Law Enforcement Today

Homeland Security Alert: Do We Need to Prepare for a Widespread Impending Attack?

A Law Enforcement Today opinion piece cites Sarah Adams’s interview on the Shark Coast Tactical Podcast while discussing homeland security preparedness.

Read the opinion
In Print · BizPac Review

Former CIA Official Warns America What She Thinks Is Coming

BizPac Review discusses Sarah Adams’s December 2024 podcast interview and public warnings concerning terrorism threats.

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In Print · Crescent City Times

Al Qaeda Behind the 10/7 Massacre!

Crescent City Times discusses Sarah Adams’s interview and her analysis of the October 7 attack; claims are attributed to the interview.

Read the article
Guest appearance · Intelligence Spotlight · Qais Alamdar

How Intelligence Operations & Militancy Evolve in Afghanistan with Sarah Adams

Guest conversation with Qais Alamdar about targeting, militancy, and Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover.

Listen / watch
In Print · Associated Press

“Ticking Time Bomb”: Those Who Raised Suspicions About Trump Suspect Question if Enough Was Done

An Associated Press investigation includes Sarah Adams’s account of warning humanitarian partners in Ukraine about Ryan Routh’s claimed recruitment of Afghan fighters and raising concerns with…

Read the investigation
In Print · Associated Press

Takeaways From AP’s Report on Warning Signs About Suspect in Apparent Trump Assassination Attempt

The Associated Press follow-up highlights Sarah Adams’s warning to aid groups in Ukraine and the questions raised about how tips concerning Ryan Routh were handled.

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In Print · Amu TV

Mahmood Habibi Faces Imminent Execution by Al-Qaeda, Former CIA Official Warns

Amu TV quotes Sarah Adams’s September 2024 warning about the detained Afghan-American Mahmood Shah Habibi.

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In Print · The Washington Post

Ryan Routh’s Long, Strange Journey Before Potential Trump Assassination Attempt

The Washington Post quotes Sarah Adams on warnings she circulated to humanitarian groups about Ryan Routh’s efforts to recruit Afghan nationals for the war in Ukraine.

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In Print · The Wall Street Journal

U.S. Authorities Were Warned About Suspected Trump Gunman

The Wall Street Journal quotes Sarah Adams about concerns humanitarian organizations in Ukraine raised regarding Ryan Routh’s claimed recruitment of Afghan fighters and the warnings circulated…

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In Print · Townhall

Exclusive: Former CIA Targeter Sounded Alarm About Would-Be Trump Assassin

Townhall publishes reporting centered on Sarah Adams’s June 2023 Be On The Lookout notice concerning Ryan Routh’s activities and alleged false promises to Afghan recruits.

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In Print · ClearanceJobs

Know Thy Enemy: Former CIA Members Seeking Justice for Benghazi

An interview with Sarah Adams and Dave Benton about the investigation behind Benghazi: Know Thy Enemy and the continuing search for accountability.

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Book · Sarah Adams & Dave Benton

Benghazi: Know Thy Enemy

Sarah Adams and Dave “Boon” Benton reconstruct the Benghazi attacks, the network behind them, and the lessons that remain unfinished.

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David Priess

The President’s Book of Secrets

David Priess traces the history of the President’s Daily Brief and the people who have prepared and received it.

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Investigative team

House Select Committee on Benghazi

Contributed to the investigation and final report examining the events surrounding the 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi.

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In Print · POLITICO

Meet the Well-Paid Pros Behind the Benghazi Panel

POLITICO’s 2015 reporting on professional staff working for the House Select Committee on Benghazi. Preserved as coverage of the committee during Sarah Adams’s tenure as a…

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In Print · Politico · Benghazi Committee

Benghazi Committee Staff Salaries

Politico coverage of staffing and salaries associated with the House Select Committee on Benghazi.

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