Ciacrack cocaine scandal resurfaces in new film, documentary. Measuring crack cocaine and its impact harvard university. Anyone notice how the crack epidemic sort of ended when the contra wars ended. The allegations were made by a californiabased newspaper in 1996.
The crack epidemic started by the assistance of the f. Secrets of the cia reveals the truth about the cia and how this organization is behind numerous terrorist plots throughout history. The ciacontracocaine connection, with new statistical and epidemiological evidence of u. 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 cia s office of the inspector general. I has destroyed african american people, culture, and communities.
According to the stories, the cia and its operatives used crack cocainesold via. Persons convicted in federal court of possession of 5 grams of crack cocaine received a minimum. The igs report cleared the cia of complicity with the innercity crack cocaine trade. It was just another ploy to blame black people for what is wrong in america. Racist ideas distorted drug policies in reagans america. Mar 09, 2017 ross used the cocaine imported by the cia to set up a cocainedistribution network in major cities throughout the united states. There is a documentary called freeway rick ross that details the cia s involvement. Moreover, the idea that blandon and ross alone could have launched the crack epidemic is contradicted by welldocumented evidence about the nature of the cocaine trade and the emergence of crack. Jul 07, 20 the american crack epidemic refers to the surge of crack cocaine use in major cities across the united states between 1984 and 1990. The uk reported an increase of 74% in seizures of crack cocaine in drug raids between 2000 and 2006. 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. Outraged at cia role in drug trade duke university. Untouchable, brick city exposes how the infiltration of crack cocaine destroyed innercity neighborhoods across the country.
Good documentaries on 80s crack epidemic lipstick alley. One of the most talked about conspiracy theories of the mid80s and early 90s had to do with the crack epidemic. Crack the cia this is great little short documentary. The documentary series then delves into the rise of the cocaine cowboys, a secret island cocaine base, the cias connection to the crack epidemic, the history of the cartels and their murderous tactics, the era of just say no, the negative effect of nafta, and the unlikely career of an almost famous midwest meth queen. The cocaine that flooded in helped spark a crack explosion in urban america. It is one of the most highly additive and destructive drugs in the world. This documentary by awardwinning filmmaker marc levin slam, mr. However, the introduction of crack was destructive to black communities. The invention of crack represented a technological innovation that dramatically widened the availability and use of cocaine in inner cities.
The us government cia is responsible for the crack epidemic. While webbs work spurred public outcry and acted as the catalyst for various federal investigations, major media outlets worked vigorously to. The subject of todays hearings involves the allegations of cia in volvement in the u. This isnt the first time hollywood has pushed this fake news.
Special reports cocaine, conspiracy theories and the cia in. 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. Ricky donnell freeway rick ross born january 26, 1960 is an american author and former. Crack epidemic, the significant increase in the use of crack cocaine, or crack, in the united states during the early 1980s. But instead of adding drugs to the list, smith cited existing federal policy on. Dec 17, 2004 mailing address counterpunch po box 228 petrolia, ca 95558 telephone 1707 6293683. The main point that webb added to the story was how some of the contra cocaine fed into the production of crackcocaine that had such a devastating effect on americas black communities in. A number of writers have alleged that the united states central intelligence agency cia was involved in cocaine trafficking during the 1980s. Crack epidemic united states history 1980s britannica.
The american crack epidemic refers to the surge of crack cocaine use in major cities across the united states between 1984 and 1990. Key figures in ciacrack cocaine scandal begin to come forward. The crack epidemic the history of crack cocaine drugfree. 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 creates a short high, followed by tiredness, depression, panic, anxiety, and brain damage.
A commonheld belief was that the cia flooded the black community with crack so. 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. Well, the story whether fact or fiction goes that the reagan administration, along with the cia, conspired with the contras in a covert arms deal that allowed tons of cocaine into the u. Oct 14, 2011 documentary about cia drug trafficking from central america a number of allegations have been written about and several local, state, and federal investigations have taken place related to the notion of the mena intermountain municipal airport as a cia drop point in large scale cocaine trafficking beginning in the latter part of the 1980s. Allegations of a cia connection to crack cocaine epidemic. Cia involvement in contra cocaine trafficking wikipedia. Remembering the crack epidemic as a young man, freelance writer kenji jasper watched the crack epidemic destroy some of the people he grew. The crack epidemic in the united states was a surge of crack cocaine use in major cities across. Any one with a pea brain knows whites are the biggest drug addicts. These events led to what is known as the crack epidemic in the. It is not suggested that hip hop caused the crack epidemic, or vice versa.
The cia, contras, gangs, and crack institute for policy. Cia funnels drugs into poor us neighborhoods rt usa news. Some of these missions even included killing of children. Small doses of it are smoked into the lungs and delivered quickly to the brain. Some in the african american community have long claimed that the federal government was responsible for the crack epidemic of the 1980s by letting the. In a scene from the new movie kill the messenger, investigative. It has long been known that the cia has illegally toppled foreign governments. Gary webb of the san jose mercury news is the expose of this information. 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. Did the cia play a role in launching the crackcocaine epidemic. Special reports cocaine, conspiracy theories and the 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.
In this case, the cia s activities led to the crack epidemic in americas inner cities, which caused american citizens much pain and misery. The crack epidemic had particularly devastating effects. Cia and cocaine how the cia sparked the crackepidemic. Usually the cias activities have harmful effects on innocent civilians in foreign countries. The documentary series then delves into the rise of the cocaine cowboys, a secret island cocaine base, the cias connection to the crack epidemic, the history of the cartels and their murderous tactics, the era of just say no, the negative effect of nafta, and the.
Anyone notice how the crack epidemic sort of ended when the. A powerful series by investigative reporter gary webb of the san jose mercury news says the answer may be yesand the charge. Like heroin in the vietnam era it was believed that the crack epidemic was also introduced by authorities themselves. Dec 31, 2004 crack, the cia and black americas drug crisis. But, it can be argued that both fed off each other, particularly hip hop off the crack culture itself. The answer is the same as it was a decade ago following a central intelligence agency cialed invasion of afghanistan. Central intelligence agency ties to drug trafficking and the 1980s crack cocaine epidemic that devastated neighborhoods, destroyed families and. By 2002, the united kingdom was experiencing their own crack epidemic, with the number of crack addicts seeking help climbing nearly 50% that year. Mailing address counterpunch po box 228 petrolia, ca 95558 telephone 1707 6293683. Crack in the system official trailer 2014 marc levin. It refuted charges that cia officials knew that their nicaraguan allies were dealing drugs.
Aug 30, 2012 one of the most talked about conspiracy theories of the mid80s and early 90s had to do with the crack epidemic. 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. At the center of it all is the rise, fall and redemption of freeway rick ross, a street hustler who became the king of crack, and journalist gary webb. Key figures in ciacrack cocaine scandal begin to come.
Many excia agents speak out about their experiences as agents and what they were required to do. The first article also made other specific allegations of cia knowledge of, or involvement in, the drug rings activities. In the article there is a story told to banks by a police officer where he states he had arrested a 9yearold for stealing food from a liquor store and then found that the boy was trying to feed his three young. 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. Oct 05, 2011 the drugs the cia let into the country contributed to the deaths of many africanamericans in the ghetto, these drugs were part of the crack epidemic. What does this have to do with the crack epidemic conspiracy. The fbis war on black america top documentary films. Ciacontracrack cocaine controversy department of justice. Caught and then convicted to life in prison during the mid90s, freeway rick reduced his sentence to 20 years an extremely rare feat. 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. Ross used the cocaine imported by the cia to set up a cocainedistribution network in major cities throughout the united states.
Webb alleged that profits from these crack sales were funneled to the ciasupported contras. Crack cocaine was popularized because of its affordability, its immediate euphoric effect, and its high profitability. Many ex cia agents speak out about their experiences as agents and what they were required to do. Decadesold cia crackcocaine scandal gains new momentum. Ross has said that when he first saw crack cocaine as a teenager in 1979, he did not immediately. Allegations of a cia connection to crack cocaine epidemic select. Now that the contra wars are not going on there is no need to raise such large amounts of untraceble money and no steady flights going back and forth to central america. 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. Decadesold cia crackcocaine scandal gains new momentum rt.
Cia allegations of cocaine trafficking conspiracy crack. In this case, the cias activities led to the crack epidemic in americas inner cities, which caused american citizens much pain and misery. Documentary about cia drug trafficking from central america a number of allegations have been written about and several local, state, and federal investigations have taken place related to the notion of the mena intermountain municipal airport as a cia drop point in large scale cocaine trafficking beginning in the latter part of the 1980s. Crack the cia 2001 sundance winner internet archive. 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. Crack cocaine quickly gained popularity among users in the 1980s due to its cheap cost, and the quick, intense high it left. Federal government and even withthe department of justice.
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. Usually the cia s activities have harmful effects on innocent civilians in foreign countries. At the end of the film, i was reminded of the importance the crack epidemic and hiphop had on my life. Did the cia play a role in launching the crack cocaine epidemic. Fbi, task forces and federal organizations and the unions for private ly owned. The drugs the cia let into the country contributed to the deaths of many africanamericans in the ghetto, these drugs were part of the crack epidemic.
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