Revealing the Real Threats and the Manufactured Ones: The Intercept’s 2019 National Security Coverage

A look back at The Intercept’s must-read national security stories from 2019.

The Threat Within

Who the Justice Department decides to prosecute as a domestic terrorist has little to do with the harm they’ve inflicted or the threat they pose to human life.
By Trevor Aaronson, Margot Williams, Alleen Brown, Alice Speri

UAE Enlisted Businessman to Spy On Trump White House

Rashid Al-Malik reported to UAE intelligence on the Trump administration’s Middle East policy as part of a broader influence effort.
By Alex Emmons, Matthew Cole

An Iranian Activist Wrote Dozens of Articles for Right-Wing Outlets. But Is He a Real Person?

The writer Heshmat Alavi pushes regime change in Iran. But an MEK defector says the controversial, exiled opposition group created the persona.
By Murtaza Hussain

 
 

How Erik Prince Used the Rise of Trump to Make an Improbable Comeback

Erik Prince now offers a complete mercenary supply chain: anything from military hardware to social media manipulation in partnership with Project Veritas.
By Matthew Cole

Secret Report Reveals Saudi Incompetence and Widespread Use of U.S. Weapons in Yemen

Donald Trump says Saudi Arabia could turn to Russia or China for arms, but the French intelligence report emphasizes its dependence on the West.
By Alex Emmons

I Wrote About the Bidens and Ukraine Years Ago. Then the Right-Wing Spin Machine Turned the Story Upside Down.

Many observers now seem to think this suddenly hot story came out of nowhere this year, but that is not true.
By James Risen

Did Felix Sater’s 20 Years as an Informant Help Land Him at the Center of the Trump-Russia Story?

“I wasn’t running,” Sater told The Intercept. “I don’t need to worry about the morality of ‘should a candidate be involved in business?’”
By Johnny Dwyer

Rudy Giuliani Turned NY’s Southern District Into a Spin Machine. His Legacy Is Coming Back to Haunt Him.

Giuliani’s entire post-government life has been a case study in ethical adventurism, if not actual criminal conduct.
By Johnny Dwyer

A Republican Conspiracy Theory About a Biden-in-Ukraine Scandal Has Gone Mainstream. But It Is Not True.

The rumor that Joe Biden abused his power to protect his son’s business interests in Ukraine is “absolute nonsense,” leading anti-corruption activist says.
By Robert Mackey

Charging Julian Assange With Espionage Could Make His Extradition to the U.S. Less Likely

British authorities will have to decide whether to send the WikiLeaks founder to stand trial in the United States for publishing true information.
By Robert Mackey