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. Did the cia really introduce cocainecrack to the u. By the time webb worked on his series, there had already been mention in the press of the contras link with the u. The crack epidemic started by the assistance of the f. Oct 03, 2017 the wrecked c123k in which those flight logs were found had a history of involvement with cocaine, the medellin cartel, and the cia. Crack cocaine was popularized because of its affordability, its immediate euphoric effect, and its high profitability. 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.
The first article also made other specific allegations of cia knowledge of, or involvement in, the drug rings activities. Freeway ricky ross, the drug kingpin who ignited crack. Gary webb was no journalism hero, despite what kill the. When ronald reagan became president soon after, he quietly began. 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.
How the cia watched over the destruction of gary webb. 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. Others however argued that this is not true and that its some sort of liberal agenda to demonize reagans term. These events led to the crack epidemic of the late 1980s and 1990s. 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. Crack epidemic united states history 1980s britannica. Webbs troubles began in august 1996, when his employer, the san jose. Cia funnels drugs into poor us neighborhoods 6 jan, 2011 19. The contra rebels were in full flow in nicaragua, and reportedly the cia turned a blind eye to the rebels exporting significant amounts of. Did the cia play a role in launching the crack cocaine epidemic.
A complete history of crack cocaine drug rehab options. The big lie is that we started it all the crack epidemic we were just a small part. Beginning in 1985, journalists started pursuing tips about the cias role in. The crack epidemic had particularly devastating effects. Ross used the cocaine imported by the cia to set up a cocainedistribution network in major cities throughout the united states. Messenger movie rekindles interest and outrage over central intelligence agency ties to drug trafficking and the 1980s crack cocaine epidemic. 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. Cia involvement in contra cocaine trafficking wikipedia. Gary webb had discovered the ciacontra connection in california in the mid1990s, while investigating the crack cocaine epidemic within the black community. Allegations of a cia connection to crack cocaine epidemic. 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. I think we all know that the only way we can make a change in this world is if we unite.
President reagans desired end was to finance the nicaraguan contras in their fight for democracy. The ciacrackcontra conspiracy theory and professional journalism. There were the torres brothers, the colombians, and others, he says. The igs report cleared the cia of complicity with the innercity crack cocaine trade. Special reports cocaine, conspiracy theories and the cia in. The subject of todays hearings involves the allegations of cia in volvement in the u. 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. Jun 23, 2017 how the cia turned us onto lsd and heroin. 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. By 1985, cocainerelated hospital emergencies rose by 12 percent, from. He was the journalist who wrote a famousor infamous1996 series for the san jose mercury news that maintained a ciasupported drug ring. A number of writers have alleged that the united states central intelligence agency cia was. 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. In 1996, gary webb of the san jose mercury news exposed a shocking series of facts.
Says it has found no link between itself and crack. How one journalist linked the cia to the crack epidemic. Gary webb exposed, in his dark alliance series, how cialed nicaraguan rebels brought cocaine to poor l. 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.
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. The criticism of the criticism usually fails to come to grips with the salient point. 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. No matter what you think of the cia, theres no putting the crackepidemic genie back in the bottle. The storm over dark alliance national security archive. 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. Crack epidemic, the significant increase in the use of crack cocaine, or crack, in the united states during the early 1980s. Freshlyreleased cia documents show how the largest u. Decadesold cia crackcocaine scandal gains new momentum. Dark alliance was a series written by californiabased reporter webb and published in the san jose mercury news in 1996. Despite what a new movie says about the reporter who linked the cia and crack. The means used by the cia was the saturation of cocaine in our country. 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.
The cia crack contra conspiracy theory and professional journalism. It was the same plane louisiana drug dealer barry seal used in a joint ciadea sting. Did the cia play a role in launching the crackcocaine epidemic. Like all government agencies, the cia was not created overnight and functioning at full capacity the following morning. 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. 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. Usually the cias activities have harmful effects on innocent civilians in foreign countries. Crack has destroyed families and, in many ways, destroyed communities, which still suffer the effects of crime, druguse, and incarceration. Neighborhoods and families were severely impacted by this epidemic. Just so sad that someone trying to shed light upon the truth gets blacklisted for doing his job.
For some articles around the time of the event that dealt more with the mainstream responses, see. In 1996, a bombshell report by journalist gary webb claimed that the central intelligence agency cia supported cocaine trafficking into the u. The cia, the drug dealers, and the tragedy of gary webb telegraph. The answer is the same as it was a decade ago following a central intelligence agency cialed invasion of afghanistan. This was accomplished, but the disregard for the inevitable result, our countrys crack cocaine epidemic, was not justifiable. In 1996, journalist gary webb began looking into links between. 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.
American scientists created aids in a laboratory as a weapon to be used on enemies of the. 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 was the same plane louisiana drug dealer barry seal used in a joint cia dea sting operation in 1984 against the sandinistas. Gary webb on the cia, the contras, and the crack cocaine explosion, audio interviews 19971998 with gary webb from democracy now. Aids was a chemical experiment sponsored by the cia that went awry.
Ciacontracrack cocaine controversy department of justice. Outraged at cia role in drug trade duke university. Dec 31, 2004 crack, the cia and black americas drug crisis. Key figures in ciacrack cocaine scandal begin to come forward. In fact, there were various renditions of an intelligence agency for 6 years prior to the formal establishment of the central intelligence agency. In 1996 the agency was accused of being a crack dealer. 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. 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 involved in cocaine trafficking during the 1980s. It refuted charges that cia officials knew that their nicaraguan allies were dealing drugs. 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. Cia funnels drugs into poor us neighborhoods rt usa news.
Allegations of a cia connection to crack cocaine epidemic select. I has destroyed african american people, culture, and communities. Apr 25, 2007 the first article also made other specific allegations of cia knowledge of, or involvement in, the drug rings activities. How one journalist linked the cia to the crack epidemic and. As the land border became more tightly controlled, cocaine would be shipped via the caribbean and the bahamas and end up in miami. A series of expose articles in the san jose mercurynews by reporter gary webb told tales of a drug. 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. We oversimplified the complex issue of how the crack epidemic in. 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.
It has long been known that the cia has illegally toppled foreign governments. The cia, contras, gangs, and crack institute for policy. His father was a marine sergeant, and the family moved frequently, as his career took him to new assignments. 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. The cia, contras, gangs, and crack institute for policy studies.
It started when webb wrote a series of three articles for the san jose mercury news in 1996 dubbed dark alliance. 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. 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. Weekly has a fascinating piece concerning the late gary webb.
Special reports cocaine, conspiracy theories and the cia. 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. The high amount of people in jail is a direct result of the crack epidemic, which was started by the cia. Cia and cocaine how the cia sparked the crackepidemic. Decadesold cia crackcocaine scandal gains new momentum rt. 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.
According to one article, the cocaine that flooded in through blandons drug ring helped spark a crack explosion in. 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. The true story of the 1980s crack epidemic is still untold. In his own words 2004, video of interview with gary webb from guerrilla news network inside the dark alliance. 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. Ciacontra connection recent central american history. 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. 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.
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. 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. A powerful series by investigative reporter gary webb of the san jose mercury news says the answer may be yesand the charge. Barry seal was an airplane pilot who started transporting drugs into the us in the mid1970s. In this case, the cias activities led to the crack epidemic in americas inner cities, which caused american citizens much pain and misery. The cia, the drug dealers, and the tragedy of gary webb. 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. The crack epidemics impact on black communities 91. 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. Usually the cia s activities have harmful effects on innocent civilians in foreign countries. The cia set up the connections, and all that illegal money can go into whatever uncle sam says is good.