Just because the contra war against nicaragua was the product of the 12year reign of the g. It also suggested that the contras may have acted with the knowledge and protection of the central intelligence agency cia. Cia and cocaine how the cia sparked the crackepidemic. Cia funnels drugs into poor us neighborhoods rt usa news. The san jose mercury news articles spurred renewed interest in the subject of drug trafficking in support of the contras, particularly the allegation that certain contra supporters described in the articles trafficked drugs with the knowledge and support of the cia and were responsible for the crack explosion in southern california and. His father was a marine sergeant, and the family moved frequently, as his career took him to new assignments. Crack represented a major distraction contributing to child abuse, neglect, and abandonment of parental responsibilities.
In october 1998, the cia released a declassified version of hitzs twovolume report. A powerful series by investigative reporter gary webb of the san jose mercury news says the answer may be yesand the charge. 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 subject of todays hearings involves the allegations of cia in volvement in the u. The cia certainly assisted the contras, and the contras had known cocaine ties. The cia dropped crack into the inner cities in the 80s. Cia involvement in contra cocaine trafficking wikipedia. As involvement in cocaine trafficking into inner city. Key figures in ciacrack cocaine scandal begin to come.
Key figures in ciacrack cocaine scandal begin to come forward. After reading about gary webb exposing the cias potential complicity in l. Did the cia really introduce cocainecrack to the u. The investigation by excia operative goss had focused specifically on a story reported by gary webb in the san jose mercury news in august 1996 that alleged that the crack epidemic in california could be traced to two ciaconnected nicaraguan cocaine dealers who used at least part of their profits to finance the nicaraguan contra.
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. The cia, the drug dealers, and the tragedy of gary webb. Measuring crack cocaine and its impact harvard university. Reagan did not manufacture the crack epidemic in the 80s. Webb also alleged that this influx of nicaraguansupplied cocaine sparked, and significantly fueled, the widespread crack cocaine epidemic that. The cia, contras, gangs, and crack institute for policy. 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. Much like the aids in vending machines, this is moon landing, birther, conspiracy level insanity. These life histories identify how the crack era added to the miseries facing many innercity african american families in the 1980s and 1990s. A widely read newspaper series leads many americans to believe cia is guilty of at least complicity, if not conspiracy, in the outbreak of crack cocaine in americas inner cities.
Where did the cia introduced crack to the inner cities in. The reagan administration and the cia also collaborated with nicaraguan cocaine traffickers to support the contras led to the crack epidemic of the 1980s. The severelydistressed african american family in the. A number of writers have alleged that the united states central intelligence agency cia was involved in cocaine trafficking during the 1980s. Racist ideas distorted drug policies in reagans america. In 1996 the agency was accused of being a crack dealer. The first article also made other specific allegations of cia knowledge of, or involvement in, the drug rings activities. The findings will be required reading for anyone concerned by the rise of crack, but given the cias habit of burying its own past, undoubtedly not the final word.
Webb doesnt think that anybody got the idea to start a crack epidemic. 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. It has long been known that the cia has illegally toppled foreign governments. In 1996, a bombshell report by journalist gary webb claimed that the central intelligence agency cia supported cocaine trafficking into the u. He was the journalist who wrote a famousor infamous1996 series for the san jose mercury news that maintained a ciasupported drug ring. The reagan administration and the cia also collaborated with nicaraguan cocaine traffickers to support the contras led to the crack epidemic.
Beginning with the irancontra affair, some politicians and journalists began arguing that the cia contributed to the rise of the epidemic. Children born to crack users like ricochet had a challenging home life. Cia director john deutch, meanwhile, has ordered his inspector general to file a report on the subject within 60 days. Decadesold cia crackcocaine scandal gains new momentum. But, propelled by newer technology, the san jose papers tantalizing assertion of a possible c. In this case, the cias activities led to the crack epidemic in americas inner cities, which caused american citizens much pain and misery. Times caught offguard by webbs reporting in its own backyard yanked katz all the way from texas to. How one journalist linked the cia to the crack epidemic. The govt cia invented crack just to target the black man in order to keep him down. Crack cocaine was popularized because of its affordability, its immediate euphoric effect, and its high profitability. 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 igs report cleared the cia of complicity with the innercity crack cocaine trade. While at a small airport in rural mena, arkansas, the notorious smuggler barry seal was given protection by governor bill clinton to continue his drugsmuggling, gunrunning, money laundering operation but now as a dea informant and a cia contract. A series of expose articles in the san jose mercurynews by reporter gary webb told tales of a drug.
Kelvin scott holds up a plastic bag holding fl our, representing cocaine, as he joins marchers protesting alleged cia involvement in the crack cocaine trade feb. The invention of crack represented a technological innovation that dramatically widened the availability and use of cocaine in inner cities. Did the cia play a role in launching the crackcocaine epidemic. Webb was following the trial of a contra leader named oscar danilo blandon reyes who testified as to the c. Clair who write for the nation lay it all out in their book whiteout. Okay, so then how involved was the cia in importing the most important ingredient cocaine. Blandon and meneses were said to have used their drug trafficking profits to help fund the contra armys war effort. Though evidence is thin, tale of cia and drugs has a life of its own. Greedy old pricks, doesnt mean bill clintons hands are clean. 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.
Special reports cocaine, conspiracy theories and the cia. 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. Ciacontracrack cocaine controversy department of justice. Others however argued that this is not true and that its some sort of liberal agenda to demonize reagans term. 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. In more extreme versions of the story circulating on talk radio and the internet, the agency was the instrument of a consistent strategy by the us government to destroy the black community and to keep black americans from advancing.
Knowledge of drug trafficking and the contras the national security archive obtained the handwritten notebooks of oliver north, the national security council aide who helped run the contra war and other reagan administration covert operations, through a freedom of information act lawsuit filed in 1989. Allegations of a cia connection to crack cocaine epidemic. Usually the cias activities have harmful effects on innocent civilians in foreign countries. The cia, contras, gangs, and crack institute for policy studies. Even ross saw cocaine at 19 in 79, so it was established well before the crack epidemic of the 80s, and likely without cia assistance. Ross used the cocaine imported by the cia to set up a cocainedistribution network in major cities throughout the united states. Regardless of the intent of the mercury news, the accusation of government involvement in the crack epidemic had taken root.
The original series claimed that, in order to help raise funds for efforts against the nicaraguan sandinista national liberation front sandinista government. The cia was consequently not only involved in and ultimately responsible for the innercity crack epidemic. Special reports cocaine, conspiracy theories and the cia in. The book is based on dark alliance, webbs threepart investigative series published in the san jose mercury news in august 1996. It said dark alliance caused many americans to believe the cia was guilty of at least complicity, if not conspiracy in the crack cocaine outbreak in u. Donna warren lives with the scars of americas crack cocaine epidemic every day of her life.
In more extreme versions of the story circulating on talk radio and the internet, the agency was the instrument of a consistent strategy by the us government to. 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. The crack epidemic had particularly devastating effects within the african american communities of the inner cities by causing the increase of addictions, deaths, and drugrelated crimes. The intro on the supposed cia involvement in the crack epidemic says. The cia, the contras, and the crack cocaine explosion is a 1998 book by journalist gary webb. 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. The series never reported direct cia involvement, although many readers drew that conclusion. The source for that statement is gary webbs book dark alliance. Crack epidemic united states history 1980s britannica. In 1996, a series in the san jose mercurynews by gary webb charged that the reaganera cia sold crack in inner cities to fund clandestine operations in central america. 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. The storm over dark alliance national security archive.