Allegations of a cia connection to crack cocaine epidemic. How one journalist linked the cia to the crack epidemic. The first article also made other specific allegations of cia knowledge of, or involvement in, the drug rings activities. 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. 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. Measuring crack cocaine and its impact by roland g. A media frenzy around the crack epidemic created a hysteria that meant support for his lawandorder policy approach to drug use. People believe the crack epidemic in the 1980s was seeded by the cia to keep the inner city folks down. Did the cia really flood american cities with drugs or turned a blind eye to it. Survey data shows that, of people who tried crack, only 20 percent used it in the previous year, and less than 10 percent used it in the past month. 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. This was accomplished, but the disregard for the inevitable result, our countrys crack cocaine epidemic, was not justifiable. Late journalist gary webb, actor jeremy renner in kill the messenger.
After reading about gary webb exposing the cias potential complicity in l. Rereading the story of the crack epidemic jstor daily. Others however argued that this is not true and that its some. Sep 20, 2019 the secret flow of drugs and money, webb reported, had a direct link to the crack epidemic that devastated californias most vulnerable african american neighborhoods. Crack cocaine was popularized because of its affordability, its immediate euphoric effect, and its high profitability. Webbs series led to three federal investigations, none of. Did the cia play a role in launching the crack cocaine epidemic. Did the cia really introduce cocainecrack to the u. Investigative reporter gary webb linked the cia to americas introduction to crack cocaine. 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.
Here are 10 things to know about gary webb and his report that linked the cia to crack cocaine. The means used by the cia was the saturation of cocaine in our country. 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. Jan 16, 2011 freeway ricky ross, the drug kingpin who ignited crack cocaine epidemic. The true story of the 1980s crack epidemic is still untold. A commonheld belief was that the cia flooded the black community with crack so. In this case, the cias activities led to the crack epidemic in americas inner cities, which caused american citizens much pain and misery. A complete history of crack cocaine drug rehab options. In this case, the cia s activities led to the crack epidemic in americas inner cities, which caused american citizens much pain and misery. Jan 10, 2018 rereading the story of the crack epidemic as policymakers seek solutions for the ongoing opioid epidemic, its worth remembering how sensationalist reporting can lead to troubling responses. Jun 26, 2017 the full story of the 1980s crack epidemic is still yet to be told. Freeway ricky ross, the drug kingpin who ignited crack. The big lie is that we started it all the crack epidemic we were just a small part. The charges of cia involvement in contra cocaine trafficking were revived in 1996, when a newspaper series by reporter gary webb in the san jose mercury news claimed that the trafficking had played an important role in the creation of the crack cocaine drug problem in the united states.
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. May 30, 1997 they took two guys in the drug trade who had conversations with people in the cia, and from that concluded that the cia started the whole crack epidemic, says dan thomasson, washington bureau. Key figures in ciacrack cocaine scandal begin to come. Says it has found no link between itself and crack. Did the cia play a role in launching the crackcocaine epidemic. The crack epidemics impact on black communities 91. 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. Others however argued that this is not true and that its some sort of liberal agenda to demonize reagans term. Mar 23, 2017 john singletons new fx series snowfall chronicles the beginning of the crack cocaine epidemic that ravaged black communities and the world. 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. It refuted charges that cia officials knew that their nicaraguan allies were dealing drugs. This led to the us having the highest incarceration rate in the world.
Crack epidemic united states history 1980s britannica. They took two guys in the drug trade who had conversations with people in the cia, and from that concluded that the cia started the whole crack epidemic, says dan thomasson, washington bureau. The igs report cleared the cia of complicity with the innercity crack cocaine trade. Yet, in the 1980s, media roundly ignored evidence that most people. The contra rebels were in full flow in nicaragua, and reportedly the cia turned a blind eye to the rebels exporting significant amounts of cocaine for funding. Special reports cocaine, conspiracy theories and the cia. In 1996, a bombshell report by journalist gary webb claimed that the central intelligence agency cia supported cocaine trafficking into the u. Ross said the crack epidemic also created a different, dangerous mindset. Neighborhoods and families were severely impacted by this epidemic. The drugs the cia let into the country contributed to the deaths of many africanamericans in the ghetto, these drugs were part of the crack epidemic.
President reagans desired end was to finance the nicaraguan contras in their fight for democracy. A powerful series by investigative reporter gary webb of the san jose mercury news says the answer may be yesand the charge. It created a mindset that we should attack life as easy as we. Aug 30, 2012 one of the most talked about conspiracy theories of the mid80s and early 90s had to do with the crack epidemic. Your worst fears are true the cia did help to smuggle drugs into american ghettos, says an investigative reporter, webb was asked whether his story had confirmed the suspicion within the black community that the crack cocaine epidemic might be part of a. According to one article, the cocaine that flooded in through blandons drug ring helped spark a crack explosion in. All the time that this crack epidemic was being unleashed by the contras, vice president bush was the man in charge of the reagan administrations central america program, overseeing all of the activities of the cia, the pentagon, and every other government intelligence agency. Freeway ricky ross, the drug kingpin who ignited crack cocaine epidemic. According to the article, contra financiers had allegedly met with cia agents both before and while cocaine, in crack form, was being sold in. Usually the cia s activities have harmful effects on innocent civilians in foreign countries. Measuring crack cocaine and its impact harvard university.
Cia involvement in contra cocaine trafficking wikipedia. It has long been known that the cia has illegally toppled foreign governments. Outraged at cia role in drug trade duke university. We were a little marble, pebble, rock and people are acting like were big boulder. 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. Crack cocaine, swept throughout the us in the 1980s as an inexpensive and easily accessible drug. Dec 31, 2004 crack, the cia and black americas drug crisis. Oct 10, 2014 investigative reporter gary webb linked the cia to americas introduction to crack cocaine.
As the land border became more tightly controlled, cocaine would be shipped via the caribbean and the bahamas and end up in miami. One of the most talked about conspiracy theories of the mid80s and early 90s had to do with the crack epidemic. The secret flow of drugs and money, webb reported, had a direct link to the crack epidemic that devastated californias most vulnerable african american neighborhoods. Prison populations soared as african americans were targeted by law enforcement despite using drugs at similar rates to whites. Gary webb gary webb exposed, in his dark alliance series, how cialed nicaraguan rebels brought cocaine to poor l. Crack has destroyed families and, in many ways, destroyed communities, which still suffer the effects of crime, druguse, and incarceration.
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. 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. The cia, the drug dealers, and the tragedy of gary webb. The high amount of people in jail is a direct result of the crack epidemic, which was started by the cia. In his own words 2004, video of interview with gary webb from guerrilla news network inside the dark alliance. 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. Gary webb 19552004 back dope inc authentic journalism is telling people something that the government doesnt want them to know. A powerful series by investigative reporter gary webb of the san jose mercury news says the answer may be yes. The impact of the drug epidemic on black families 91. The full story of the 1980s crack epidemic is still yet to be told. There were the torres brothers, the colombians, and others, he says.
The cia, contras, gangs, and crack institute for policy studies. The 1980s crack epidemic crack usage began to surge in the 1980s. This post claims that the cia funded the contras by hiring drug traffickers which ultimately led to the crack epidemic that plagued the inner cities is this true. The cia, contras, gangs, and crack institute for policy. The crack epidemic had particularly devastating effects. Special reports cocaine, conspiracy theories and the cia in. Gary webb on the cia, the contras, and the crack cocaine explosion, audio interviews 19971998 with gary webb from democracy now. John singletons new fx series snowfall chronicles the beginning of the crack cocaine epidemic that ravaged black communities and the world. The high amount of people in jail is a direct result of the crack epidemic, which was started by the cia terry reed and the cia weve talked about gary webb. In the interview notes with filmmaker levin, blandon confirms his support of the contras and his role in drug trafficking, but downplays his significance. Usually the cias activities have harmful effects on innocent civilians in foreign countries. How one journalist linked the cia to the crack epidemic and. Crack epidemic, the significant increase in the use of crack cocaine, or crack, in the united states during the early 1980s. Between 1985 and 1989, the number of regular cocaine users jumped from 4.
1047 348 1447 1156 70 327 582 953 1435 927 500 1356 826 1412 1121 51 530 85 19 464 637 1291 689 582 1362 739 1237 87 282