Webb doesnt think that anybody got the idea to start a crack epidemic. 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 play a role in launching the crackcocaine epidemic. 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. Racist ideas distorted drug policies in reagans america. Crack has destroyed families and, in many ways, destroyed communities, which still suffer the effects of crime, druguse, and incarceration. Measuring crack cocaine and its impact harvard university. Since its creation in 1947 under president harry truman, the cia has been credited with a number of farfetched operations. Ciacontracrack cocaine controversy department of justice. Did the cia really introduce cocainecrack to the u. While the cias heavy involvement in the drug trade, and especially the crack cocaine trade, has been well documented by scholars such as dr. 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 crackcocaine in to the innercities. The cia dropped crack into the inner cities in the 80s.
Crack and heroin make it to inner cities because of the networks who started to import them. The invention of crack represented a technological innovation that dramatically widened the availability and use of cocaine in inner cities. Just like in the cocaine crisis of 1905 where african american laborers were blamed for pretty much every crime, the media seized the stats and started disseminating hysteria, and much of it was aimed at poor african americans living in innercity areas. His father was a marine sergeant, and the family moved frequently, as his career took him to new assignments. The cia, the drug dealers, and the tragedy of gary webb telegraph. 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. A series of expose articles in the san jose mercurynews by reporter gary webb told tales of a drug. The cia, the drug dealers, and the tragedy of gary webb. The crack epidemic the history of crack cocaine drug.
This led to the us having the highest incarceration rate in the world. 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. Special reports cocaine, conspiracy theories and the cia. In 1996 the agency was accused of being a crack dealer. As policymakers seek solutions for the ongoing epidemic of opioid overdoses, horror stories about the effects of the drugs fuel calls for more punitive law enforcement, as well as better treatment options. In 1996, gary webb of the san jose mercury news exposed a shocking series of facts. 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 uk reported an increase of 74% in seizures of crack cocaine in drug raids between 2000 and 2006. How one journalist linked the cia to the crack 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. The first article also made other specific allegations of cia knowledge of, or involvement in, the drug rings activities. Americas war on drugs also examines the longsimmering accusations of the cias role in flooding the countrys inner cities with crack cocaine, ushering in the devastating 1980s epidemic. Rereading the story of the crack epidemic jstor daily. Why was heroin addiction and crack addiction so prevalent.
The cia, contras, gangs, and crack institute for policy. Clair who write for the nation lay it all out in their book whiteout. Cia involvement in contra cocaine trafficking wikipedia. Dark alliance was a series written by californiabased reporter webb and published in the san jose mercury news in 1996. Crack cocaine was popularized because of its affordability, its immediate euphoric effect, and its high profitability. Did the cia really flood american cities with drugs or turned a blind eye to it. The introduction to the first installment of the series read. Did the cia play a role in launching the crack cocaine epidemic. By 2002, the united kingdom was experiencing their own crack epidemic, with the number of crack addicts seeking help climbing nearly 50% that year. Says it has found no link between itself and crack. Most popular crack cocaine movies and tv shows imdb.
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. It started when webb wrote a series of three articles for the san jose mercury news in 1996 dubbed dark alliance. Usually the cias activities have harmful effects on innocent civilians in foreign countries. Blandon began selling cocaine supplied by meneses to raise money for the contras. In fact, the cialed campaign to discredit webb is an interesting well documented story all by itself. 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.
Where did the cia introduced crack to the inner cities in. While some were proven the infamous lsd mindcontrol experiments of. Because you are getting a very distorted view that is not a reflection of reality. The american crack epidemic was a surge of crack cocaine use in major cities across the united states between 1982 and the early 1990s. Outraged at cia role in drug trade duke university. Others however argued that this is not true and that its some sort of liberal agenda to demonize reagans term. People believe the crack epidemic in the 1980s was seeded by the cia to keep the inner city folks down. Although bermudez never mentioned drug trafficking. 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, contras, gangs, and crack institute for policy studies. The high amount of people in jail is a direct result of the crack epidemic, which was started by the cia. According to one article, the cocaine that flooded in through blandons drug ring helped spark a crack explosion in. A complete history of crack cocaine drug rehab options. Allegations of a cia connection to crack cocaine epidemic.
An innercity junior high school teacher with a drug habit forms an. 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. Where did the cia introduced crack to the inner cities in the 80s idea originate. 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. A complete history of crack cocaine march 28, 2018 substance abuse 0 comments crack cocaine, commonly shortened to crack, is a free base version of cocaine a drug that has been used in various forms in south america for centuries. 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. 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. 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. Crack epidemic united states history 1980s britannica. 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. The igs report cleared the cia of complicity with the innercity crack cocaine trade. Heres how the crack epidemic brought a city to its knees.
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. Crack was an innercity drug, a streetcorner drug, a drug of gangs and guns that white america largely experienced from a distance. 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. 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. Blandon and meneses were said to have used their drug trafficking profits to help fund the contra armys war effort. Cia funnels drugs into poor us neighborhoods 6 jan, 2011 19. Peter dale scott at least since the irancontra hearings in the 1980s, the mass media are only now beginning to take notice. In this case, the cias activities led to the crack epidemic in americas inner cities, which caused american citizens much pain and misery.
After reading about gary webb exposing the cias potential complicity in l. Just as bad was her pushing of the equally ludicrous fiction that the cia was responsible for the crack epidemic that gutted our inner cities in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Levine found analyzing the reaction to crack in the 1980s, sensationalist reporting can lead to troubling responses. 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. And even when they do take notice, most of the sheeplike journalists and.
It has long been known that the cia has illegally toppled foreign governments. Special reports cocaine, conspiracy theories and the cia in. Allegations of a cia connection to crack cocaine epidemic select. 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. Cia funnels drugs into poor us neighborhoods rt usa news. A number of writers have alleged that the united states central intelligence agency cia was involved in cocaine trafficking during the 1980s.
Messenger movie rekindles interest and outrage over central intelligence agency ties to drug trafficking and the 1980s crack cocaine epidemic. It refuted charges that cia officials knew that their nicaraguan allies were dealing drugs. Crack cocaine was first introduced to the united states in the early 1980s, going on to become an epidemic with millions of users and contributing to. A powerful series by investigative reporter gary webb of the san jose mercury news says the answer may be yesand the charge.
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