The Double Games of Foes and Friends: The Intercept’s 2018 National Security Coverage

From government eavesdropping on private citizens to revelatory details about Russian interference in the 2016 election to Washington’s draconian efforts to track and punish whistleblowers and journalists, surveillance and spying have been recurring themes this year. Influence-peddling has been rampant, with Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies cozying up to the Trump administration in exchange for insider information, freedom to silence dissidents, and crucial assistance for their brutal war in Yemen. The U.S. government, meanwhile, has been up to its old tricks, honoring war criminals and promoting a notorious overseer of torture to lead the CIA, while pursuing Muslims at home and harming civilians in distant conflict zones.

My Life as a New York Times Reporter in the Shadow of the War on Terror

As I took the stand, I thought about how much press freedom had been lost and how drastically national security reporting had changed in the post-9/11 era.
By James Risen

The NSA’s Hidden Spy Hubs in Eight U.S. Cities

These fortress-like AT&T buildings are central to a secret NSA program that has monitored billions of communications, documents and sources reveal.
By Ryan Gallagher, Henrik Moltke

What Mueller’s Latest Indictment Reveals About Russian and U.S. Spycraft

The indictment has a surprising amount of technical information and presents the most detailed and plausible picture of the Russian cyberattacks so far.
By Micah Lee

Saudi Crown Prince Boasted That Jared Kushner Was “in His Pocket”

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told confidants that Kushner discussed the names of royal family members opposed to his power grab.
By Alex Emmons, Ryan Grim, Clayton Swisher

Saudi Arabia Planned to Invade Qatar Last Summer. Rex Tillerson’s Efforts to Stop It May Have Cost Him His Job.

The plan involved Saudi ground troops crossing the land border into Qatar, and, with military support from the UAE, seizing control of Doha.
By Alex Emmons

U.S.-Backed Saudi Airstrike on Family With Nine Children Shows “Clear Violations” of the Laws of War

Members of the Saudi-led coalition are ignoring their own procedures aimed at minimizing civilian casualties in Yemen, a U.S. intelligence report says.
By Iona Craig, Shuaib Almosawa

Dear Saudi Crown Prince Supporters: Your Hero May Allow Women to Drive, but He’s Also a War Criminal

Mohammed bin Salman was celebrated by Silicon Valley and Hollywood titans during his U.S. visit. They ignored his role in the slaughter in Yemen.
By Mehdi Hasan

With Medal of Honor, SEAL Team 6 Rewards a Culture of War Crimes

The Medal of Honor will be awarded to Britt Slabinski, who was banned from SEAL Team 6 for alleged war crimes.
By Matthew Cole

Video: A Brief History of U.S. Intervention in Iraq Over the Past Half-Century

To understand Iraq’s current reality, we must confront not just 15 years of U.S. policy, but a history that spans the administrations of 11 U.S. presidents.
By Jeremy Scahill

Camp America Comes Home: Debi Cornwall’s Photos Capture the Eerie Aftermath of Guantánamo.

The lawyer-turned-photographer shows life on the periphery of the prison camp — and the former detainees who carry its scars with them.
By Siddhartha Mitter

U.S. Navy Reserve Doctor on Gina Haspel Torture Victim: “One of the Most Severely Traumatized Individuals I Have Ever Seen”

A doctor and Naval reserve officer who examined a high-profile prisoner tortured under Haspel’s supervision urged the Senate to oppose her nomination as CIA director.
By Jeremy Scahill

Reality Winner Has Been in Jail for a Year. Her Prosecution Is Unfair and Unprecedented.

Winner is accused of leaking a classified NSA document that helped alert Americans to Russian hacking attacks against the U.S. voting system.
By Peter Maass

A 4-Year-Old Girl Was the Sole Survivor of a U.S. Drone Strike in Afghanistan. Then She Disappeared.

Aisha lost her mother, father, and little brother when a drone attacked their truck. Twelve days later, she left Afghanistan in the care of a mysterious NGO.
By May Jeong

Noor Salman, Widow of Pulse Killer Omar Mateen, Is Found Not Guilty of All Charges

The rarest of events has occurred: Justice is served in a terrorism case involving a Muslim defendant.
By Glenn Greenwald

“I Refused to Secretly Spy” — How an Iranian-American Turned Down the FBI and Wound Up With a Prison Sentence

The prosecution of Ahmad Sheikhzadeh suggests his real crime was not picking a side.
By Johnny Dwyer

Before Snowden, an NSA Spy Tried to Incite Change From the Inside. He Called Himself the “Curmudgeon” of Signals Intelligence.

Rahe Clancy thought the NSA had become too corporate. So he wrote an agitated series of missives — for the agency.
By Peter Maass