The reagan administration and the cia also collaborated with. Inciardi reports that in 1980, coca paste smoking was popular in the caribbean. It can be instantly addictive, meaning just a single dose is enough to start on the path. The introduction to the first installment of the series read. 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 messenger says, read the recent washington post oped headline. Did the cia place crack in urban areas in the 1980s. In fact, the longterm effects of their actions may be even worse than the present effects. Comprehensive impact assessments what is an comprehensive impact assessment cia.
Though evidence is thin, tale of cia and drugs has a life of its own. Cia involvement in contra cocaine trafficking wikipedia. It refuted charges that cia officials knew that their nicaraguan allies were dealing drugs. Cia funnels drugs into poor us neighborhoods 6 jan, 2011 19. Crack epidemic united states history 1980s britannica. The igs report cleared the cia of complicity with the innercity crack cocaine trade. This new world highline listen to america podcasts. The crack epidemic the history of crack cocaine drugfree.
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. Is this primarily an urban legend or grounded in truth. Crack is a relatively new drug on the scene compared to drugs like opium or heroin. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other. 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. Aug 12, 2015 crack was an inner city drug, a streetcorner drug, a drug of gangs and guns that white america largely experienced from a distance. A powerful series by investigative reporter gary webb of the san jose mercury news says the answer may be yesand the charge. Cia funnels drugs into poor us neighborhoods rt usa news. Jun 26, 2017 heres how the crack epidemic brought a city to its knees. Impact of the cia the cias involvement during the cold war.
Was the cia involved in selling crack cocaine to inner city persons to fund secret armies in nicaragua. Usually the cia s activities have harmful effects on innocent civilians in foreign countries. A number of writers have alleged that the united states central intelligence agency cia was involved in cocaine trafficking during the 1980s. Cocaine, conspiracy theories and the cia in central america pbs. There is a great documentary on this called, american drug war.
Comprehensive impact assessment cia cornwall council. 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, 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. Why did the cia introduce crack into the black community. Decadesold cia crackcocaine scandal gains new momentum. By its disparate impact, the story has also underscored both the. This resulted in a number of social consequences, such as increasing crime and violence in american inner city. Cia s impact on technology central intelligence agency. Did the cia play a role in launching the crackcocaine epidemic.
Special reports cocaine, conspiracy theories and the cia. Who exactly invented crack and introduced it to the inner cities is unknown and largely beside the point, but it certainly wasnt something that inner city blacks could have organized by themselves. The majority of european crack cocaine users are located in three citieshamburg, london and paris. 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. Drug trafficking was a much less convoluted method of skirting the congressional ban on funding the contras, and the cias. Inciardi, immigrants from jamaica, trinidad, and locations along the leeward and windward islands introduced the prototype for crack to caribbean innercity populations in miami and new york. Outraged at cia role in drug trade duke university. Ah come on man, i need a bit of evidence to believe that. Crack is wack but did cia create it to kill off blacks. 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. After four weeks of strong signs that the cia contra crack issue wasnt going to fade away, the nations newspaper of record finally got around to covering the story.
A punitive law enforcement policy of prohibition and interdiction provided the weapons and, while the professed enemies of the war on drugs were drug cartels in drug source countries, those most affected were people of color in inner city neighborhoods, chiefly african americans and hispanics. The severelydistressed african american family in the. That act was a response to yalta, and to the general pervasive fear that, after ww ii, the greatest threat to world peace was the communists. The cia has all the power in the entire world, some of it has come from drugs and those are facts published in public documents written by the cia. Racist ideas distorted drug policies in reagans america.
We contend the crack era had this type of an impact, especially in the inner city. The severelydistressed african american family in the crack. Was the cia involved in selling crack cocaine to inner city. While the use of coca leaves as an intoxicant dates back three thousand years, crack cocaine, a crystallized form of cocaine, was developed during the cocaine boom of the 1970s and its use spread in the mid1980s. The cia, the drug dealers, and the tragedy of gary webb. Crack is not just a black problem, and america is the only country on the planet where crack is associated with black people, so i guess it started in that late 1970s disco culture to the beginning of the uberinclusive 1980s culture. The crack epidemic the history of crack cocaine drug. Secret ties between cia, drugs revealed the final call. Crack was an innercity drug, a streetcorner drug, a drug of gangs and guns that white america largely experienced from a distance.
Central intelligence agency cia, principal foreign intelligence and counterintelligence agency of the u. Inciardi, immigrants from jamaica, trinidad, and locations along the leeward and windward islands introduced the prototype for crack to caribbean inner city populations in miami and new york. Dec 31, 2004 crack, the cia and black americas drug crisis. In more extreme versions of the story circulating on talk radio and the internet, the. The igs report cleared the cia of complicity with the innercity crack cocaine. A complete history of crack cocaine drug rehab options. Ultimately, crack is a highly addictive drug, and those who take it are much more likely to use crime to pay for their habits. First off, its very unlikely that the cia was involved in what happened to. Cnn cia admits it overlooked contras links to drugs. A number of writers have alleged that the united states central intelligence agency cia was.
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. Others however argued that this is not true and that its some sort of liberal agenda to demonize reagans term. Special reports cocaine, conspiracy theories and the cia in. The reagan administration and the cia also collaborated with nicaraguan cocaine traffickers to support the contras led to the crack epidemic of the 1980s. However, with limited staff and resources, we simply cannot respond to all who write to us. Did the cia really introduce cocainecrack to the u. Decadesold cia crackcocaine scandal gains new momentum rt. Apr 25, 2007 the first article also made other specific allegations of cia knowledge of, or involvement in, the drug rings activities. Cias impact on technology central intelligence agency. My american literature professor said that cia involvement in selling drugs in the us was often speculated about in the 80s but never proven. While im not entirely convinced the cia introduced crack to the inner city, the world is not too big or chaotic a place to orchestrate something that big.
Usually the cias activities have harmful effects on innocent civilians in foreign countries. But, propelled by newer technology, the san jose papers tantalizing assertion of a possible c. 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. The office of public affairs opa is the single point of contact for all inquiries about the central intelligence agency cia.
Culture cia crack conspiracy discussion thread drugs. Oct 24, 2014 gary webb was no journalism hero, despite what kill the messenger says, read the recent washington post oped headline. Nov 03, 1998 cia admits it overlooked contras links to drugs. The black and brown ones receiving more time than their white. Where did the cia introduced crack to the inner cities in the 80s idea originate. Did the cia really invent and distribute crack cocaine in the.
The central intelligence agency cia is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the united states, tasked with gathering, processing, and analyzing national security information from around the world, primarily through the use of human intelligence humint. Id say the sting operation was moving that crap into the inner city, letting them spend all of their monay on it, rob each other blind and spend that as well, then step in and take it all away under the civil forfeiture of assets program that was then in place. We read every letter, fax, or email we receive, and we will convey your comments to cia officials outside opa as appropriate. October 21, 1996 though evidence is thin, tale of c. Jayz, ronald reagan, kanye west apreutersbenoit tessierdanny moloshokphoto montage by salon ronald reagans hiphop nightmare.
Its creation in 1947 was intended to address problems of duplication, competition, and lack of coordination that had characterized previous u. The next question we must answer in order to provide a possible correlation between crack cocaine and inner city decay is when this drug was introduced. But crack cocaine use has also been reported as a significant problem in three french overseas territoriesguadeloupe, french guiana and martiniqueand in some communities in the netherlands. Crack cocaine was popularized because of its affordability, its immediate euphoric effect, and its high profitability. 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. It has long been known that the cia has illegally toppled foreign governments. 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. Dec 24, 2005 crack has destroyed millions of lives since it was first introduced to the streets of america. Virtually any job you can imagine is available at the cia. That said, the charged words crack and inner city were likely unintended consequences not all part of the plan. Building and held a rally on the south lawn of city hall. This idea evolved from the claim that the cia or fbi introduced heroin into inner cities in the 60s.
The first article also made other specific allegations of cia knowledge of, or involvement in, the drug rings activities. Is there any substance to the charge that they deliberately. Crack cocaine in the inner cities has torn up numerous families. From the 1950s through the 1970s, a ciaoperated cargo and passenger airline companycalled air americawas created to enable the agency to. 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. Under president ronald reagan america not only increased its involvement in the middle east by supplying arms to both iraq and iran in their war against each other, but america stepped up its involvement in conflicts around the world, especially south america. 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 crack cocaine in to the inner cities. One of cias best examples of such technology may hit closer to home than youd thinkthe lithiumion battery. Where did the cia introduced crack to the inner cities in. The war on drugs and the three strikes law put a lot of inner city men and women in prison. Until those issues are addressed, its unlikely that the crack problem that has happened in our innercity areas will be resolved. 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. Crack, the cia and black americas drug crisis the final call.
Central intelligence agency to the introduction of crack cocaine into. Heroin had been broadly popular in the inner city during the 1960s and early 1970s. The cia dropped crack into the inner cities in the 80s. The igs report cleared the cia of complicity with the inner city crack cocaine trade. In this case, the cias activities led to the crack epidemic in americas inner cities, which caused american citizens much pain and misery. Overall the cia made a huge impact on what the president had to known when making orders which may or may not have impacted the war went. Powder cocaine, the more expensive version of the drug, found. Sullum quotes what hart said why crack was popular in the inner cities. Mar 17, 2016 freeway rick ross on how he introduced crack to the u. Key figures in ciacrack cocaine scandal begin to come forward. Cia bought crack off of the contras and introduced it into california.
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. Its a sad sight, especially at a time when real journalism is shriveling and in retreat, including in the washington post news room. Key figures in ciacrack cocaine scandal begin to come. Feb 18, 2014 with this in mind, you might not be surprised to learn that, after a declassification process, publicly released technologies developed by cia have gone on to impact the world in positive ways. It is a well known fact that the cia carries out these covert operations, which is one of the key points of creating the cia. In this case, the cia s activities led to the crack epidemic in americas inner cities, which caused american citizens much pain and misery.
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