The cia helped spread crack cocaine in black ghettos. 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. These conditions were further strained during the 1980s and 1990s by the widespread use of crack cocaine. The press did not begin reporting on the issue of crack cocaine until 1984, but those articles suggested that the mounting crack problem had existed prior to that time. Government spread crack cocaine in the black ghetto, a recent headline said. Special reports cocaine, conspiracy theories and the cia in. Ricky ross, the celebrated dealer of gary webbs dark alliance, sold approximately four tons of cocaine during his roughly five years in business. A complete history of crack cocaine drug rehab options. The article further alleged that court records indicated that the cash ross paid for the cocaine was then used to buy weapons and equipment for. The cia, crack cocaine and the black community fcn, 12312004 one on one with the real rick ross fcn, 1225. The use of crack cocaine reached epidemic proportions in this country at the end of the 1980s. The cia, crack cocaine and the black community fcn, 12312004 one on one with the real rick ross fcn, 12252009 reforming the american gangster. In the final analysis, the cia and its twisted sister, the mossad, and most all the nonblack players behind the scenes of the crack cocaine crisis and blueprint for genocide like heller, klein, kenner and jdl walked, profiting handsomely from complicity and conspiracy in crack cocaine trafficking. Crack epidemic united states history 1980s britannica.
Figure 2 presents national time series data by race for fetal death rates, low birth weight babies, weapons arrests, and the fraction. The cia helped spread crack cocaine in black ghettos for. In 1986, these incidents increased 110 percent, from 26,300 to 55,200. Conspiracy theories can often ring true the washington post. Freeway rick ross on how he introduced crack to the u. As involvement with the fall of the black panther party and the african american community essay. For several years during the 1980s, webb discovered, contra elements shuttled thousands of tons of cocaine into the united states, with the profits going toward the funding of contra rebels attempting a counterrevolution in their nicaraguan. Crack cocaine causes weight loss, high blood pressure, hallucinations, seizures, and paranoia.
The severelydistressed african american family in the crack era. In the final analysis, the cia and its twisted sister, the mossad, and most all the non black players behind the scenes of the crack cocaine crisis and blueprint for genocide like heller, klein, kenner and jdl walked, profiting handsomely from complicity and conspiracy in crack cocaine trafficking. Mercury news series about cocaine sales and the cia. The newspaper sent the stories out to african american.
These drug purveyors were allegedly injecting the black community with. People used to taking cocaine would take an equivalent amount of crack and overdose, and hospital admissions due to cocaine overdose doubled in a year. In 1996, the publication of gary webbs dark alliance series threatened the cia with unwelcome public scrutiny by exposing its complicity in the drug trade. Crack could also be smoked much more easily, requiring a temperature of only 194f to vaporize. The invention of crack represented a technological innovation that dramatically widened the availability and use of cocaine in inner cities. As long as you have enough money to buy the drugs you are welcome at the cia headquarters. Allegations of a cia connection to crack cocaine epidemic. Books and investigations on the subject that have received general notice include works by historian alfred mccoy. A s involvement with the fall of the black panther party and the african american community essay. Cia involvement in contra cocaine trafficking wikipedia.
Decadesold cia crackcocaine scandal gains new momentum. By 1987, crack was reported to be available in the district of columbia and all but four states in the united states. 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 common charge emerged on black talkradio programs. 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. This led to the us having the highest incarceration rate in the world. Another obstacle has been the fact that cia imported so much cocaine that, even if every black man, woman and child in the country had been using it, they could not have used all of what cia brought in. Oct 11, 2014 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 cia helped spread crack cocaine in black ghettos for nearly a decade and helped create the modern drug cartel network by funding the biggest nicaraguan contra drug dealers. 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.
Decadesold cia crackcocaine scandal gains new momentum rt. The severelydistressed african american family in the crack. In august 1996, the san jose mercury news published the dark alliance series of articles alleging, among other things, that cocaine was virtually unobtainable in black neighborhoods before members of the cias armythe nicaraguan contrasstarted bringing it into. Kill the messenger movie revisits the cia and how crack. Behind the uproar is a threepart series, dark alliance, that. Race, the crack epidemic and the effect on todays opioid crisis. 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. Numerous african american families have struggled for generations with persistent poverty, especially in the inner city. 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. Key figures in ciacrack cocaine scandal begin to come forward.
Most popular crack cocaine movies and tv shows imdb. Join various community speakers as they discuss this history, its impact and meaning today, as well. Many blacks are more likely than whites to believe cia had role in l. According to the series, blandon was the johnny appleseed of crack in californiadistributing thousands of kilos of colombian cocaine to black dealers like ricky ross. Jeremy renner, robert patrick, jena sims, robert pralgo. Straight outta compton, did the cia infiltrate rap music. In 1985, cocaine related hospital emergencies rose by 12 percent, from 23,500 to 26,300. Webbs bold, controversial reporting was the target of a famously vicious media backlash that. As they entered the door, a note attached to it said, please do. In 1996, pulitzer prizewinning journalist gary webb 19552004 wrote a shocking series of articles for the san jose mercury news exposing the cias link to nicaraguan cocaine smuggled into the us by the contras, which had fueled the widespread crack epidemic that swept through urban areas. 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. Gary webb and the san jose mercury news have performed a tremendous community service by publishing the excellent threepart series aug. 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.
Webb had painted a destructive picture of the cia, blatantly accusing them of practically lighting the crackcocaine fuse. Special reports cocaine, conspiracy theories and the cia. Many readers interpreted the series to assert that the cia and other agencies of the united states government had intentionally funneled crack cocaine into black communities by either permitting or endorsing cocaine trafficking by blandon and meneses. For many, crack use became an obsession, dominated their lives, and superseded family responsibilities.
Did the cia sell drugs to american dealers to destroy the. The honorable minister louis farrakhan delivered a press conference in irans capital city tehran at presstvs headquarters, nov. Due to the unique characteristics associated with crack addiction and the populations that use it, the epidemic created a host of new problems for the public health and drug treatment commu nities. Measuring crack cocaine and its impact harvard university. When cia assets or the equities of the cia were implicated in a court case, it was the responsibility of her office to. Cia, crack cocaine and the african american community. These laws were stricter than laws against powder cocaine. Congress passed laws that created a 100 to 1 sentencing disparity for the possession or trafficking of crack when compared to. Above all else, we respect everyones opinions and all religious beliefs and creeds. The emergence of crack cocaine led to strict laws against crack cocaine. Aug 30, 2012 webb had painted a destructive picture of the cia, blatantly accusing them of practically lighting the crack cocaine fuse. Did the cia really introduce cocainecrack to the u. The severelydistressed african american family in the. The socalled war on drugs by the us government and the police especially targeted young black and brown males.
By 1985, cocainerelated hospital emergencies rose by 12 percent, from. Cynthia mckinney stated on the floor of congress, central intoxication agency. On march 18, 1998, the cia s inspector general, fred hitz, told astounded us reps that the cia had maintained relationships with companies and individuals that the agency knew to be involved in the drug business. A cia sponsored drug ring funneled millions of dollars in drug profits to the nicaraguan contra rebels and, in the process, opened the first pipeline for crack. Cia funnels drugs into poor us neighborhoods rt usa news. Instead, ross found himself surrounded by federal agentsthe supplier. By 1985, cocainerelated hospital emergencies rose by. The united states central intelligence agency cia has been accused of involvement in drug trafficking. If america had shown less contempt and more compassion for crack addicts, we d be way ahead of the game now in dealing with this scourge. Bush with panamas noriega, a decadeslong cia asset and medellin cartelallied cocaine exporter to the u. 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. 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 cias army started bring it into south central in the 1980s at bargain basement prices, wrote mercury news reporter gary webb, in the first installment of the shocking series.
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. Between 1984 and 1987, cocaine incidents increased to 94,000. The cocaine that flooded in helped spark a crack explosion in urban america and provided the cash and connections needed for l. Further, these contra financiers allegedly delivered cocaine on a cutrate basis to ricky donnell ross, a south central crack dealer, who turned the cocaine into crack and sold it wholesale to gangs. Mar 21, 2008 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 news reporter gary webb, in the first installment of the shocking series. Blandon and meneses were said to have used their drug trafficking profits to help fund the contra armys war effort. A number of writers have alleged that the united states central intelligence agency cia was involved in cocaine trafficking during the 1980s. Between 1982 and 1985, the number of cocaine users increased by 1.
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. The cia sold drugs to anybody regardless of the race. The first article also discussed oscar danilo blandon reyes role in the drug ring. Crack cocaine could be obtained for the same price at purities of around 80 percent.
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