On august 18, 1996, the san jose mercury news published the first installment of a threepart series of articles concerning crack cocaine, the central intelligence agency cia, and the nicaraguan contra. This resulted in a number of social consequences, such as increasing crime and violence in american inner city neighborhoods, as well as a resulting backlash in the form of tough on crime policies. The high amount of people in jail is a direct result of the crack epidemic, which was started by the cia. Apr 25, 2007 the first article also made other specific allegations of cia knowledge of, or involvement in, the drug rings activities. When webbs father retired from the marines, the family settled in a suburb of indianapolis, where webb and his brother attended high school after high school, webb attended an indianapolis community college on a. His father was a marine sergeant, and the family moved frequently, as his career took him to new assignments. Gary webb had discovered the ciacontra connection in california in the mid1990s, while investigating the crack cocaine epidemic within the black community. Cia funnels drugs into poor us neighborhoods rt usa news. How one journalist linked the cia to the crack epidemic. Ciacontracrack cocaine controversy department of justice. It started when webb wrote a series of three articles for the san jose mercury news in 1996 dubbed dark alliance.
Oct 11, 2014 back in 1996, gary webb of the san jose mercury news broke a story stating not only that the nicaraguan contras supported by the united states in a rebellion against their leftleaning government were involved in the us crack cocaine epidemic of the 1980s, but also that the cia knew and turned a blind eye to the operation. So once you look at this here, then its easy for you to see they didnt mind sacrificing a particular sector of america, said ross. This resulted in a number of social consequences, such as increasing crime and violence in american inner city neighborhoods, as well as a resulting backlash in the form of tough on crime. In fact, there were various renditions of an intelligence agency for 6 years prior to the formal establishment of the central intelligence agency. This led to the us having the highest incarceration rate in the world. Crack cocaine, swept throughout the us in the 1980s as an inexpensive and easily accessible drug.
Special reports cocaine, conspiracy theories and the cia. Cia funnels drugs into poor us neighborhoods 6 jan, 2011 19. Just so sad that someone trying to shed light upon the truth gets blacklisted for doing his job. Messenger movie rekindles interest and outrage over central intelligence agency ties to drug trafficking and the 1980s crack cocaine epidemic. The cia, the drug dealers, and the tragedy of gary webb telegraph. The means used by the cia was the saturation of cocaine in our country.
When the story first appeared in 1996 on the website of the san jose mercury news, it became an unprecedented internet sensation, receiving up to 1. How the cia watched over the destruction of gary webb. A series of expose articles in the san jose mercurynews by reporter gary webb told tales of a drug. Aids was a chemical experiment sponsored by the cia that went awry. Snowfall is a onehour drama set against the infancy of the crack cocaine epidemic and its ultimate radical impact on the culture as we know it. As the land border became more tightly controlled, cocaine would be shipped via the caribbean and the bahamas and end up in miami. Special reports cocaine, conspiracy theories and the cia in. I has destroyed african american people, culture, and communities. I think we all know that the only way we can make a change in this world is if we unite. The igs report cleared the cia of complicity with the innercity crack cocaine trade. Despite what a new movie says about the reporter who linked the cia and crack. It was the same plane louisiana drug dealer barry seal used in a joint cia dea sting operation in 1984 against the sandinistas.
Investigative reporter gary webb, who exposed the link between the cia and the crack cocaine epidemic in his groundbreaking dark alliance series, officially resigned from the san jose. The first article also made other specific allegations of cia knowledge of, or involvement in, the drug rings activities. The true story of the 1980s crack epidemic is still untold. Hello reddit, i was doing a little research on the crack epidemic of the 1980s and from what i read the cia introduce crack cocaine to the u. Cia concludes, after interviewing nearly 400 people on four continents, that its officers had nothing to do with explosion of crack cocaine in us, as charged by some blacks. Mar 21, 2015 the cia, the drug dealers, and the tragedy of gary webb in 1996, journalist gary webb began looking into links between nicaraguas drugrunning contra rebels and the cia. The contra rebels were in full flow in nicaragua, and reportedly the cia turned a blind eye to the rebels exporting significant amounts of. Others however argued that this is not true and that its some sort of liberal agenda to demonize reagans term.
Back in 1996, gary webb of the san jose mercury news broke a story stating not only that the nicaraguan contras supported by the united states in a rebellion against their leftleaning government were involved in the us crack cocaine epidemic of the 1980s, but also that the cia knew and turned a blind eye to the operation. Cia involvement in contra cocaine trafficking wikipedia. The crack epidemics impact on black communities 91. The subject of todays hearings involves the allegations of cia in volvement in the u. Cia and cocaine how the cia sparked the crackepidemic. It was followed by other articles and editorials declaring that the crack cocaine crisis had been created by the cia andor agents of the united states government. In 1996, gary webb of the san jose mercury news exposed a shocking series of facts. Outraged at cia role in drug trade duke university.
These claims have led to investigations by the united states government, including hearings and reports by the united states house of representatives, senate, department of justice, and the cia s office of the inspector general. Jun 23, 2017 how the cia turned us onto lsd and heroin. Decadesold cia crackcocaine scandal gains new momentum rt. Dec 31, 2004 crack, the cia and black americas drug crisis. By 1985, cocainerelated hospital emergencies rose by 12 percent, from. On april 9, 1980 richard pryor was freebasing cocaine and drinking 151 rum and douched himself with the liquor and lit himself on fire and ran down the street. Did the cia play a role in launching the crack cocaine epidemic. Aug 30, 2012 in october 1998, the cia released a declassified version of hitzs twovolume report, and the cia was cleared of its alleged complicity in the spread of crackcocaine in to the innercities. Gary webb on the cia, the contras, and the crack cocaine explosion, audio interviews 19971998 with gary webb from democracy now. People believe the crack epidemic in the 1980s was seeded by the cia to keep the inner city folks down. A number of writers have alleged that the united states central intelligence agency cia was. Neighborhoods and families were severely impacted by this epidemic. In this case, the cia s activities led to the crack epidemic in americas inner cities, which caused american citizens much pain and misery. These events led to what is known as the crack epidemic in the.
Crack epidemic, the significant increase in the use of crack cocaine, or crack, in the united states during the early 1980s. President reagans desired end was to finance the nicaraguan contras in their fight for democracy. Aaron dixon, the former seattle chapter captain for the black panther party, is writing a book on the impact of crack cocaine on black communities. The cia set up the whole laosthailandburma golden triangle heroin production way back in the 60s, mainly to counter the supposed lsd revolution back home. No matter what you think of the cia, theres no putting the crackepidemic genie back in the bottle. He was the journalist who wrote a famousor infamous1996 series for the san jose mercury news that maintained a ciasupported drug ring. The cia, contras, gangs, and crack institute for policy. Gary webb was no journalism hero, despite what kill the. The big lie is that we started it all the crack epidemic we were just a small part. These claims have led to investigations by the united states government, including hearings and reports by the united states house of representatives, senate, department of justice, and the cias office of the inspector general.
A washington post investigation, the article declared, had determined that available information does not support the conclusion that the ciabacked contrasor nicaraguans in generalplayed a major role in the emergence of crack as a narcotic in widespread use across the united statesan odd argument since dark alliance had focused. Says it has found no link between itself and crack. How long has the cia been actively involved in importing. It refuted charges that cia officials knew that their nicaraguan allies were dealing drugs.
In october 1998, the cia released a declassified version of hitzs twovolume report, and the cia was cleared of its alleged complicity in the spread of crackcocaine in to the innercities. The cia crack contra conspiracy theory and professional journalism. On august 18, 1996, the san jose mercury news published the first installment of a threepart series of articles concerning crack cocaine, the central intelligence. Crack epidemic united states history 1980s britannica. Decadesold cia crackcocaine scandal gains new momentum. The cia, contras, gangs, and crack institute for policy studies. Ross used the cocaine imported by the cia to set up a cocainedistribution network in major cities throughout the united states. By the time webb worked on his series, there had already been mention in the press of the contras link with the u.
Webbs troubles began in august 1996, when his employer, the san jose. The crack epidemic started by the assistance of the f. A powerful series by investigative reporter gary webb of the san jose mercury news says the answer may be yesand the charge. In the article there is a story told to banks by a police officer where he states he had arrested a 9yearold for stealing food from a liquor store and then found that the boy was trying to feed his three young. Did the cia play a role in launching the crackcocaine epidemic. In 1996, journalist gary webb began looking into links between. In his report, webb who had won a pulitzer in 1989 for a different story claimed that the cia was partly responsible for bringing crack cocaine to the united states in the 1980s. An awardwinning investigative reporter, gary webb 19552004 is best known for his dark alliance series that linked a northern california drug ring with the cia and the united states burgeoning crack epidemic. It has long been known that the cia has illegally toppled foreign governments.
The crack epidemic in the united states was a surge of crack cocaine use in major cities across the united states between the early 1980s and the early 1990s. When ronald reagan became president soon after, he quietly began. Ciacontra connection recent central american history. A steady course of africanamerican progress was essentially halted in its tracks as the crack epidemic escalated, peaked and, finally, in the late 1990s, began to subside. The criticism of the criticism usually fails to come to grips with the salient point. Based on a yearlong investigation, reporter gary webb wrote that during the 1980s the cia helped finance its covert war against nicaraguas leftist government through sales of cutrate cocaine to south central l. In his own words 2004, video of interview with gary webb from guerrilla news network inside the dark alliance. According to one article, the cocaine that flooded in through blandons drug ring helped spark a crack explosion in. The answer is the same as it was a decade ago following a central intelligence agency cialed invasion of afghanistan. Did the cia really introduce cocainecrack to the u.
A complete history of crack cocaine drug rehab options. These events led to the crack epidemic of the late 1980s and 1990s. In this case, the cias activities led to the crack epidemic in americas inner cities, which caused american citizens much pain and misery. A number of writers have alleged that the united states central intelligence agency cia was involved in cocaine trafficking during the 1980s. Freshlyreleased cia documents show how the largest u. Barry seal was an airplane pilot who started transporting drugs into the us in the mid1970s.
Usually the cias activities have harmful effects on innocent civilians in foreign countries. American scientists created aids in a laboratory as a weapon to be used on enemies of the. Dec 19, 1997 cia concludes, after interviewing nearly 400 people on four continents, that its officers had nothing to do with explosion of crack cocaine in us, as charged by some blacks. This was accomplished, but the disregard for the inevitable result, our countrys crack cocaine epidemic, was not justifiable. Gary webb exposed, in his dark alliance series, how cialed nicaraguan rebels brought cocaine to poor l. Dark alliance was a series written by californiabased reporter webb and published in the san jose mercury news in 1996.
For some articles around the time of the event that dealt more with the mainstream responses, see. Little did they know that the cia was using them as pawns in a larger scheme by allowing the more affordable drug to come into their neighborhood. The cia, the drug dealers, and the tragedy of gary webb. Crack cocaine was popularized because of its affordability, its immediate euphoric effect, and its high profitability. On august 18, 1996, the san jose mercury news published the first installment of a threepart series of articles concerning crack cocaine, the central intelligence agency cia, and the nicaraguan contra army. The storm over dark alliance national security archive. Beginning in 1985, journalists started pursuing tips about the cias role in. How one journalist linked the cia to the crack epidemic and. The ciacrackcontra conspiracy theory and professional journalism. Freeway ricky ross, the drug kingpin who ignited crack. It was the same plane louisiana drug dealer barry seal used in a joint ciadea sting. Allegations of a cia connection to crack cocaine epidemic. Allegations of a cia connection to crack cocaine epidemic select. In 1996, a bombshell report by journalist gary webb claimed that the central intelligence agency cia supported cocaine trafficking into the u.
The crack epidemic had particularly devastating effects. Like all government agencies, the cia was not created overnight and functioning at full capacity the following morning. Usually the cia s activities have harmful effects on innocent civilians in foreign countries. In 1996 the agency was accused of being a crack dealer. There were the torres brothers, the colombians, and others, he says. Oct 10, 2014 in his report, webb who had won a pulitzer in 1989 for a different story claimed that the cia was partly responsible for bringing crack cocaine to the united states in the 1980s. Weekly has a fascinating piece concerning the late gary webb. Key figures in ciacrack cocaine scandal begin to come forward. In october 1998, the cia released a declassified version of hitzs twovolume report, and the cia was cleared of its alleged complicity in the spread of crack cocaine in to the innercities.
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