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.

Photo Illustration: The Intercept

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

Photo: Steven Day

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

Illustration: Oivind Hovland/Getty Images

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

 
 

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Photo: The White House/flickr

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

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Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

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

Photo: Naif Rahma/Reuters

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

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Photo: Bandar Algaloud/Getty Images

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

Photo: U.S. Navy

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

Photo: Ramzi Haidar/AFP/Getty Images

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

Photo: Debi Cornwall

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

Image: Janet Hamlin/AP

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

Illustration: Hanna Barczyk

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

Photo: May Jeong

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

Bob Kunst protests against the widow of the Pulse nightclub shooter Noor Salman, who faces charges of aiding her husband in killing 49 people in 2016, outside the federal court house in Orlando, Florida, U.S. March 1, 2018. REUTERS/Joey Roulette - RC1B1493D500

Photo: Joey Roulette/Reuters

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

Photo: Pearl Gabel/ Reuters

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

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Photo: Facebook

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