Apr 25, 2007 it further alleged that cocaine was virtually unobtainable in black neighborhoods before members of the cia s army started bringing it into south central in the 1980s at bargainbasement prices. Dark alliance documented how the cia introduced crack into urban black neighborhoods, which has had a domino effect of crime, drug use, and government dependency. 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. Oct 11, 2014 while webb was also criticized for suggesting the cia intentionally devastated african american communities with crack, he defended himself saying that was not the case. Numerous african american families have struggled for generations with persistent poverty, especially in the inner city.
Urban neighborhoods are grappling with legions of homeless crack addicts. Perhaps most damningly, webb wrote that crack was virtually unobtainable in the citys black neighbourhoods before members of the cia s army began supplying it at rockbottom prices in. How the cia s crack cocaine controversy destroyed journalist gary webb, will be published in october. The quickest way to raise it is to sell cocaine and you guys go sell it somewhere. The crack epidemic that once ravaged black neighborhoods didnt get the same sympathy as todays opioid epidemic by daudi abe may 2, 2017 at 1. Dec 06, 2006 cia brought crack, rap, guns, low riders, spinners, baggy pants, and weed into black neighborhoods. Reagan declared that illicit drugs were a direct threat to u. Cia funnels drugs into poor us neighborhoods rt usa news. Ciacontracrack cocaine controversy department of justice. The devastation that crack wrought would last for nearly twenty years, and it set back race equality significantly.
It was a situation where we need money for a covert operation. 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. Bey refers to freeway ricky ross, the subject of freeway. No wonder terrorists are running wild, the cia is too busy ruining intercity blacks. The first article in the newspaper said that cocaine was virtually unobtainable in black neighborhoods before members of the cia s army started bringing it into south central in the 1980s at. While webb was also criticized for suggesting the cia intentionally devastated african american communities with crack, he defended himself saying that was not the case. The cocaine that flooded in helped spark a crack explosion in urban america and provided the cash and connections needed for l. 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. The govt cia invented crack just to target the black man in order to keep him down. The cia contra crack connection, 10 years later reporter gary webb was the victim of his own hyperbole, but he never got credit for what he got right. Conspiracy theories can often ring true the washington post.
Cia brought crack, rap, guns, low riders, spinners, baggy pants, and weed into black neighborhoods. How was crack cocaine introduced into urban and lowincome. It further alleged that cocaine was virtually unobtainable in black neighborhoods before members of the cia s army started bringing it into south central in the 1980s at bargainbasement prices. It refuted charges that cia officials knew that their nicaraguan allies were dealing drugs. Decadesold cia crackcocaine scandal gains new momentum. Im wondering what the real facts are behind where crack came from and how it was introduced to the streets and if there is any legitimate evidence supporting a connection to reagan andor 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. Is there evidence that the fbi flooded black communities with. Oct 24, 2014 its not a situation where the government or the cia sat down and said okay, lets invent crack and sell it in black neighborhoods and lets decimate black america. Neighborhoods and families were severely impacted by this epidemic. The articles represented that ross drug network was the first in the nation to market crack cocaine and was dependent on cocaine supplied by blandon. Special reports cocaine, conspiracy theories and the cia.
A number of writers have alleged that the united states central intelligence agency cia was involved in cocaine trafficking during the 1980s. While the antidrug abuse act prescribed a minimum fiveyear sentence for a dealer or user caught with five grams of crack, an amount typically handled by black. Others however argued that this is not true and that its some sort of liberal agenda to demonize reagans term. The cia, the drug dealers, and the tragedy of gary webb. In fact, the cia led campaign to discredit webb is an interesting well documented story all by itself. Special reports cocaine, conspiracy theories and the cia in. Aug 08, 2015 cia bought crack off of the contras and introduced it into california. Jun 23, 2016 while the antidrug abuse act prescribed a minimum fiveyear sentence for a dealer or user caught with five grams of crack, an amount typically handled by black and poor people, the mostly white. The crack epidemics impact on black communities 91. 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. These conditions were further strained during the 1980s and 1990s by the widespread use of crack cocaine. Did the cia bring crack to black neighborhoods in the. Did the cia really introduce cocainecrack to the u.
Secret ties between cia, drugs revealed the final call. The government certainly had an informant put barbiturates in fred hamptons drink before he passed out and was assassinated by the fbi. April, 1989, the kerry committee report concluded that members of th. For many, crack use became an obsession, dominated their lives, and superseded family responsibilities. This is rather unfair, but perception of the issues often has more weight than the reality. Clair who write for the nation lay it all out in their book whiteout. A complete history of crack cocaine drug rehab options. In 1996 the agency was accused of being a crack dealer. But, for black people to be able to given those welfares, the women would have to be pregnant and not. New docuseries aims to factcheck americas war on drugs.
Its not a situation where the government or the cia sat down and said, okay, lets invent crack, lets sell it in black neighborhoods, lets decimate black america. A series of expose articles in the san jose mercurynews by reporter gary webb told tales of a drug. In 1996, a bombshell report by journalist gary webb claimed that the central intelligence agency cia supported cocaine trafficking into the u. Its not as if the cia is accused of putting essence of crack into the drinking water in black neighborhoods, thereby creating a generation of unwitting addicts. A commonheld belief was that the cia flooded the black community with crack so that we could do each other in. By nick schou, nick schou is an editor for oc weekly. Key figures in ciacrack cocaine scandal begin to come forward. How ronald reagans drug war fueled americans addiction.
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. Gary webbs assertion that the cia introduced crack to black neighborhoods and those that the fbi was involved in flooding black communities with drugs were unfounded, and at best massive exaggerations of otherwise well documented and ultimately selfdefeating initiatives by us intelligence services. Central intelligence agency to the introduction of crack cocaine into black neighborhoods with drug profits. Crack cocaine, swept throughout the us in the 1980s as an inexpensive and easily accessible drug. The prisons are full of young blacks and latinos at a higher rate, serving a sentence for trafficking cocaine, a drug difficult to find in black neighborhoods. How the fbi infiltrates movementsand what you can do to. Fast and furious provided weapons to druglords, which have been used in attacks and killings. How ronald reagans drug war fueled americans addiction to. Cia bought crack off of the contras and introduced it into california. Whole communities of homeless addicts wander promoting violence. The cia also prevented women from getting married and using birth control.
The first article also discussed oscar danilo blandon reyes role in the drug ring. Decadesold cia crackcocaine scandal gains new momentum rt. How the fbi infiltrates movementsand what you can do to stop. In his effort to make america great again yes, that was originally a catchphrase from reagans stump speeches, reagan enlisted his. Central intelligence agency to the introduction of crack cocaine into black neighborhoods with drug profits used to. In 1990, long before any major news organizations had connected crack and the c. Dec 31, 2004 crack, the cia and black americas drug crisis. It started when webb wrote a series of three articles for the san jose mercury news in 1996 dubbed dark alliance. On october 14, 1982, president ronald reagan declared a war on drugs, doublingdown on an initiative that was started by richard nixon. Jun 26, 2017 the media seemed to play along, hyping up threats with racist coverage that largely ignored rampant cocaine use amongst whites and sensationalized the crack problem in innercity black neighborhoods. Where did the cia introduced crack to the inner cities in. Oct 08, 2010 who brought drugs into black neighborhoods.
As the land border became more tightly controlled, cocaine would be shipped via the caribbean and the bahamas and end up in miami. The crack epidemic that once ravaged black neighborhoods. Mar 21, 2008 urban neighborhoods are grappling with legions of homeless crack addicts. The igs report cleared the cia of complicity with the innercity crack cocaine trade. The cia, contras, gangs, and crack institute for policy studies. Is there evidence that the fbi flooded black communities.
These are the people who believe that you can walk into walmart and buy a machine gun, that foreign aid represents half of federal spending, that the cia introduced crack into innercity. Wouldnt be motivated to do things, since the government was basically handing them out the essentials to survive. May 02, 2017 the crack epidemic that once ravaged black neighborhoods didnt get the same sympathy as todays opioid epidemic. Heres how the crack epidemic brought a city to its knees. Sep 24, 1996 but a bigger part, i suspect, is the idea that if its true the cia helped to create the crack cocaine scourge that is devastating americas black communities, then it isnt our fault. Of course, the cia made sure healthy young male didnt get jobs. The severelydistressed african american family in the. Did the cia bring crack to black neighborhoods in the 1980s. 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. Webb doesnt think that anybody got the idea to start a crack epidemic. Though evidence is thin, tale of cia and drugs has a life of its own. Cia involvement in contra cocaine trafficking wikipedia. Oct 20, 2012 secret ties between cia, drugs revealed.
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. Drug trafficking was a much less convoluted method of skirting the congressional ban on funding the contras, and the cia s. Americas war on drugs premieres sunday, june 18 at 9pm etpt. The crack epidemic that once ravaged black neighborhoods didn. You can find several other examples of government staging these type of events. Did the government put drugs in the black community. Key figures in ciacrack cocaine scandal begin to come. Across the bay, in his expensive san francisco home, juan cantarero met with cia agents and conspired about their continuing operation. Nearly half of americas largest cities is onequarter black. Much like the aids in vending machines, this is moon landing, birther, conspiracy level insanity. Thousands of young black men are serving long prison sentences for selling cocaine a drug that was virtually unobtainable in black neighborhoods before members of the cia s army started bring it into south central in the 1980s at bargain basement prices, wrote mercury.
The cia dropped crack into the inner cities in the 80s. 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. Drug trafficking was a much less convoluted method of skirting the congressional ban on funding the contras, and the cias. Before crack was introduced, cocaine was turned into this substance using combustible chemicals. The use of crack did not become common in oakland until 1984, and when the cia product arrived the 69 mob and a few other organizations distributed it.
Kill the messenger movie revisits the cia and how crack. Why do many people believe that the us government introduced. 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. Our secret government agencies are the cause of most of the ills in our society. What is the whole theory in other words and what is the supporting evidence. The black neighborhoods in america are still suffering the effects of drugs, especially crack, introduced by the cia.