Podcast Summary: The Watch Floor with Sarah Adams

Episode Title: They Are Using This to Attack Americans
Date: March 18, 2026
Host: Sarah Adams

Episode Overview

Sarah Adams, a former CIA Targeter, analyzes last week’s failed ISIS-inspired terror attack in New York City, focusing on the specific explosive used: TATP (“triacetone triperoxide” or “the Mother of Satan”). The episode dives into why TATP is a favorite tool for modern terrorists, its risks, how extremists learn to make it, notable attacks involving TATP, and why these bombs sometimes fail. Adams provides a textbook walkthrough meant to help regular listeners understand both the technical and strategic sides of current terrorist threats.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The New York City Attack & Introduction to TATP

• Incident Recap: Two ISIS-inspired attackers attempted to detonate IEDs at a protest near Gracie Mansion. Thankfully, the devices did not explode ([00:00]).
• What is TATP:
  • Full name: triacetone triperoxide.
  • A powerful, homemade explosive, highly favored by terrorists due to ease of manufacture ([01:55]).
• Nickname: Known as "the mother of Satan" by both security officials and terrorists ([02:37]).
• Key Quote:
  • “These were real devices. If they had gone off as planned, there would have been a large number of deaths. We have to be honest about it because sometimes when this happens... it gets completely downplayed as, oh, there was some sort of security incident outside this protest when. No, this was a terrorist attack and people were expected to die in this attack.” — Sarah Adams ([01:18])

2. TATP: Why Terrorists Prefer It

• Accessibility: Made with widely available materials; no need for weapons-grade chemicals ([06:03]).
• Homemade Advantage: Allows lone actors or small cells with no direct group connection to make deadly devices ([06:45]).
• Low Detection: TATP doesn’t contain nitrogen, so traditional explosive detection often misses it ([08:20]).
• Propaganda & DIY Guides:
  • Jihadist propaganda (from Al Qaeda and ISIS) heavily promotes TATP with step-by-step videos and guides, encouraging self-radicalized attackers ([09:10]).
  • Notable Example: “Make a bomb in the kitchen of your mom,” article in Al Qaeda’s Inspire magazine ([11:20]).
  • Notable Quote:
    • “Your mom’s gonna love this.” — Sarah Adams, quipping about the infamous guide ([12:33])

3. How Terrorists Learn Bomb-Making

• Training Evolution:
  • Pre-Internet: Required camps or face-to-face training.
  • Today: Online tutorials, English-language magazines (e.g., Inspire, Dabiq, Rumiya), and digital forums ([13:35]).
• Example Case:
  • Najibullah Zazi (Afghan in Colorado): Had peroxide bomb instructions saved in his email, all learned online ([14:49]).
• Quote:
  • “The Internet is essentially your training camp. It’s just like any of us who go to YouTube to figure out how to fix something…” — Sarah Adams ([15:10])

4. TATP Bomb Construction & Warning Signs

• Appearance:
  • Often crude: plastic containers, duct tape, backpacks, pressure cookers, metal pipes, or suicide belts ([18:00]).
  • Typically packed with shrapnel: nails, screws, bolts, ball bearings ([18:45]).
• Potential for Lethality: Even a device the size of a peanut butter jar could kill a dozen or more people ([19:45]).
• Chemical Smell:
  • Strong “nail polish remover” or cleaning chemical scent; could be a warning sign for the public ([20:18]).
  • Quote:
    • “We might have a smell something, say something in this case..." — Sarah Adams ([20:50])

5. Major Attacks & Failures Involving TATP

| Attack/Incident | Year | Outcome | |----------------------------------------------|-------|----------------------------------------------------------------| | London Bombings (7/7) | 2005 | 52 killed, 700 injured; second wave failed to detonate ([23:10]) | | Paris Attack (Bataclan, Stade de France, etc.)| 2015 | 130 killed; suicide vests made in Belgium ([25:15]) | | Brussels Airport & Metro | 2016 | 32 killed, including Americans ([26:18]) | | Manchester Arena Bombing | 2017 | 22 killed, including children ([27:20]) | | London Parsons Green Subway (failed) | 2017 | Device fizzled, fireball but no deaths ([28:32]) | | Barcelona Bomb Factory Explosion | 2017 | Factory explosion killed cell members, stopped larger plot ([29:15]) |

• Key Insight:
  • TATP devices often fail due to: extreme sensitivity, amateur construction, environmental factors (heat, humidity), or faulty triggering systems ([30:42]).
• Notable Quote:
  • “Sometimes the reason the attack fails isn’t because an intelligence agency thwarted it… it sometimes fails because the bomb itself fails. And we have to be thankful in this case that it occurred.” — Sarah Adams ([32:23])

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• On the risk for terrorists:
  • “Just in the last probably like 18 months, two senior Islamic State, Khorasan province bomb makers died in their factories in Afghanistan by mishandling the components…” — Sarah Adams ([03:45]).
• On terrorist propagation:
  • “If you can get them to go make these bombs and do these attacks in your name, it didn’t cost you anything. It gets you some free publicity and it really inspires others... or scary, you get copycats.” — Sarah Adams ([10:15]).
• On preventing attacks:
  • “We might have a smell something, say something in this case, right?” ([20:50])

Notable Timestamps

• [00:00] – Recap of NY attempted attack, why TATP is the focus
• [01:55] – Definition and chemistry of TATP
• [06:03] – Accessibility for terrorists
• [11:20] – “Make a bomb in the kitchen of your mom” and online radicalization
• [14:49] – Najibullah Zazi Colorado case
• [18:00] – What a TATP bomb actually looks and smells like
• [23:10] – London Bombings and device failures
• [25:15] – Paris, Brussels, Manchester attacks
• [29:15] – Barcelona factory explosion, why bombs fail
• [32:23] – Importance of bomb failure in foiling attacks

Takeaways

• TATP is both incredibly dangerous and highly unpredictable — a favored tool for self-radicalized and amateur terrorists due to its homemade origins and easy accessibility.
• Modern terrorism increasingly leverages digital propaganda and DIY content, lowering the barrier for recruitment and attack planning.
• Many attacks are only averted thanks to the inherent instability of TATP devices—not just by security agencies but by the explosives failing themselves.
• Public vigilance (including being alert to strange chemical smells) is crucial, as future threats are likely inevitable and sometimes copycat in nature.

This episode expertly walks listeners through the technical, strategic, and historical perspectives on TATP—arming regular people with the knowledge to better understand and potentially prevent the next attack.