Cia responsible for crack epidemic cia

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. Irrefutable evidence that the the us government was responsible for the catastrophic crack cocaine epidemic. Webbs story made the extraordinary claim that the central intelligence agency was responsible for the crack cocaine epidemic in america. A number of writers have alleged that the united states central intelligence agency cia was involved in cocaine trafficking during the 1980s. Allegations of a cia connection to crack cocaine epidemic select. The igs report cleared the cia of complicity with the innercity crack cocaine trade. The central intelligence agency was created in 1947 with the signing of the national security act by president harry s. Cia involvement in contra cocaine trafficking wikipedia. 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 united states central intelligence agency cia has been accused of involvement in drug. Webbs story became notable as the first major journalism cause celebre on the newly emerging internet. This led to the us having the highest incarceration rate in the world. Here are 10 things to know about gary webb and his report that linked the cia to crack cocaine.

Ciacontracrack cocaine controversy department of justice. Webb also said the cia was aware that proceeds from the sales of. A series of expose articles in the san jose mercurynews by reporter gary webb told tales of a drug. The newspaper articles suggested that the united states government. 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. 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. Special reports cocaine, conspiracy theories and the cia. 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. Ricky ross was apprehended after a drug sting by the dea which was organized by blandon, after he was captured by the dea. Even if a major investigation into the allegations is done, it is unlikely to quell the certainty among many african americans that the government played a role in bringing the crack epidemic.

When reagans pentagon tried to do something similar by selling arms to iran to fund nicaraguan guerrillas without the cia, it didnt know what it was doing and screwed it all up, getting caught and thus the irancontra scandal. In 1996 the agency was accused of being a crack dealer. The cia, the drug dealers, and the tragedy of gary webb telegraph. There has, on the other hand, been a lot of conjecture. The contras provided both protection and infrastructure planes, pilots, airstrips, warehouses, front companies, and banks to these cialinked drug networks. The crack epidemic coincidently began around the same time when the irancontra scandal was being exposed.

It started when webb wrote a series of three articles for the san jose mercury news in 1996 dubbed dark alliance. How one journalist linked the cia to the crack epidemic and. 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. The cia, the drug dealers, and the tragedy of gary webb. The us governmentcia is responsible for the crack epidemic. The cia, contras, gangs, and crack institute for policy. His articles asserted that the cia was aware of the cocaine transactions and the large shipments of. But in the background, the cia relationships flourished and grew. The united states justice department has issued a report clearing the central intelligence agency of any role in introducing crackcocaine into americas inner cities in the 1980s. The cia, the contras, and the crack cocaine explosion. The reagan administration and the cia also collaborated with nicaraguan cocaine traffickers to support the contras led to the crack epidemic of the 1980s.

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. One of the most talked about conspiracy theories of the mid80s and early 90s had to do with the crack epidemic. Since its creation in 1947 under president harry truman, the cia has been credited with a number of farfetched operations. The answer is the same as it was a decade ago following a central intelligence agency cialed invasion of afghanistan. 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. Ciacontra connection recent central american history. Despite what a new movie says about the reporter who linked the cia and crack. According to most newspapers, the hitz report proved that the cia wasnt complicit in drug trafficking. The cia, contras, gangs, and crack institute for policy studies. Dark alliance prompted an investigation by the cia inspector general, the hitz report. The newspaper articles suggested that the united states government had protected blandon and meneses from prosecution and either knowingly permitted them to peddle massive quantities of cocaine to the black residents. 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. At the same time that tens of thousands of black people across the county are suffering from an addiction to crack cocaine and being incarcerated for it by the us government, the cia was working with the drug traffickers responsible for selling the cocaine that sparked the epidemic. While some were proven the infamous lsd mindcontrol experiments of.

Allegations of a cia connection to crack cocaine epidemic. A powerful series by investigative reporter gary webb of the san jose mercury news says the answer may be yesand the charge. 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. Gary webb linked the cia to americas introduction to crack cocaine. It refuted charges that cia officials knew that their nicaraguan allies were dealing drugs. In 1996, a bombshell report by journalist gary webb claimed that the central intelligence agency cia supported cocaine trafficking into the u. The cia was complicit, but not directly involved in the cocaine trafficking of the 1980s which led directly to the crack epidemic. Also features freeway rick and us senator john kerry. Agency was responsible for the crack cocaine epidemic in america. Did the cia play a role in launching the crack cocaine epidemic. President reagans desired end was to finance the nicaraguan contras in their fight for democracy. However, the hitz report is now public information and any independentminded reader will see that the cia, along with other us government agencies, were. Aug 30, 2012 one of the most talked about conspiracy theories of the mid80s and early 90s had to do with the crack epidemic.

Central intelligence agency a number of writers have alleged that the united states central intelligence agency cia was involved in cocaine trafficking during the 1980s. According to the stories, the cia and its operatives used crack cocainesold via. Webb later published a book based on the series, dark alliance. Special reports cocaine, conspiracy theories and the cia in. What did the cia have to gain by being involved with. The cia was consequently not only involved in and ultimately responsible for the innercity crack epidemic. The means used by the cia was the saturation of cocaine in our country. The true story of the 1980s crack epidemic is still untold. The heroin epidemic resembles the days when crack cocaine became the major drug that destroyed communities across the united states and other parts of the world including the caribbean that began in the early 1980s. However, the mercury news series contained or at least many readers interpreted it to contain a new sensational claim.

Oct 17, 2014 webbs story made the extraordinary claim that the central intelligence agency was responsible for the crack cocaine epidemic in america. Evidence does not support allegations of cia participation in. This was accomplished, but the disregard for the inevitable result, our countrys crack cocaine epidemic, was not justifiable. At least four transport companies under investigation for drug trafficking received u. Did the cia play a role in launching the crackcocaine epidemic. Nov 29, 2019 first published by global research in july 2016 the heroin epidemic resembles the days when crack cocaine became the major drug that destroyed communities across the united states and other parts of the world including the caribbean that began in the early 1980s. The allegations were made by a californiabased newspaper in 1996. The subject of todays hearings involves the allegations of cia in volvement in the u. Key figures in ciacrack cocaine scandal begin to come. 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. Gary webb was no journalism hero, despite what kill the.

By 1985, cocainerelated hospital emergencies rose by 12 percent, from. 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. Decadesold cia crackcocaine scandal gains new momentum rt. A commonheld belief was that the cia flooded the black community with crack so. Dark alliance was a series written by californiabased reporter webb and published in the san jose mercury news in 1996.