He began his career working for newspapers in kentucky and ohio, winning numerous awards, and building a strong reputation for investigative writing. Freeway ricky ross gets candid about the opioid crisis. The crack epidemic served as an excuse to lock up hundreds of thousands of black and latinoa people on drug charges. Crack in the system, which details various levels of the drug trade, the irancontra scandal, and mass incarceration. Special reports cocaine, conspiracy theories and the cia in. Teddy mcdonald carter hudson, a cia operative running from a dark past. The pipeline of cia backed drug smuggling into the country and money smuggling out of the country to support the nicaraguan contras was wide open from the mid 1970s. There is a documentary called freeway rick ross that details the cia s involvement. In this case, the cia s activities led to the crack epidemic in americas inner cities, which caused american citizens much pain and misery. Outraged at cia role in drug trade duke university. Usually the cia s activities have harmful effects on innocent civilians in foreign countries. Kill the messenger includes documentary coverage of congressperson maxine waters and other black leaders demanding the cia fess up.
I dont think well see docs like that on tv anytime soon. The return of freeway ricky ross, the man behind a crack. Central intelligence agency ties to drug trafficking and the 1980s crack cocaine epidemic that devastated neighborhoods, destroyed families. Cia played a role in promoting crack, ceppos and webb have said that. A series of expose articles in the san jose mercurynews by reporter gary webb told tales of a drug. Fueled by the findings of an investigation by san jose mercury news reporter gary webb in 1996, many would come to believe that the cia had actually created the crack epidemic in.
Mainstream media finally exposes cia drug trafficking. Webbs articles were welcomed by oppressed people as proving the drug war was aimed at them. A powerful series by investigative reporter gary webb of the san jose mercury news says the answer may be yesand the charge. A commonheld belief was that the cia flooded the black community with crack. Key figures in ciacrack cocaine scandal begin to come forward.
The original series claimed that, in order to help raise funds for efforts against the nicaraguan sandinista government, the cia supported cocaine. Part ii from the cia s dirty war in nicaragua timothy alexander guzman, silent crow news the reagan administration and the cia also collaborated with nicaraguan cocaine traffickers to support the contras led to the crack epidemic of the 1980s. How the cias crackcocaine controversy destroyed journalist gary webb. I has destroyed african american people, culture, and communities.
The cia s collusion with anticommunist drug smugglers beginning in the 1960s played a direct role in the drug epidemic of the 1980s that was used to justify president reagans 1986 crime bill. Most popular crack cocaine movies and tv shows imdb. 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. 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. Ross recently came back into the public eye as a key character in and behindthescenes player with freeway. Here are 10 things to know about gary webb and his report that linked the cia to crack cocaine. Snowfall is compelling and believable which is why it. A number of writers have alleged that the united states central intelligence agency cia was involved in cocaine trafficking during the 1980s. Webb stumbles onto a story which leads to the shady origins of the men who started the crack epidemic on the nations streetsand further alleges that the cia was aware of major dealers who.
In this crack in america, featurette, jeremy renner gary webb, director michael cuesta and others reveal the shocking real story of a cia cover up and crack epidemic that forms the backdrop for. The secret flow of drugs and money, webb reported, had a direct link to the crack epidemic that devastated californias most vulnerable african american neighborhoods. It refuted charges that cia officials knew that their nicaraguan allies were dealing drugs. 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. Gary stephen webb august 31, 1955 december 10, 2004 was an american investigative journalist. Gary webb, shadowy origins of crack epidemic, san jose mercury news. Crack in the system chronicling the infamous war on drugs and reformed drug kingping rick freeway ross rise and. 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. Crack babies, the contras, and the cia mises institute.
The findings will be required reading for anyone concerned by the rise of crack, but given the cias habit of burying its own past, undoubtedly not the final word. 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. Teddy mcdonald carter hudson, a cia operative running from a. 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.
Reviewed in the united states on november 11, 2016. Ross is featured in the 2015 twopart documentary freeway. When crack hit america in the mid1980s, for africanamericans, to borrow from tanehisi coates, civilization fell. Below is a 1990s documentary exposing the franklin cover. Delaval is a freelance writer and filmmaker and was a production assistant for drug wars. Through a secret program called the counter intelligence program cointelpro, there was a concerted effort to subvert the will of the people to avoid the rise of a black messiah that would mobilize the africanamerican community into a meaningful political force this documentary establishes historical perspective on the measures initiated by j. Crack in the system official trailer 2014 marc levin cia contra documentary hd directed by marc levin, freeway. The us government cia is responsible for the crack epidemic.
During the 1980s, the war on drugs became defined by cocaine and crack. Nearly two decades after a us reporter was humiliated for connecting the cia to a drugtrafficking trade that funded the nicaraguan contras, important players in the scandal which led to the journalists suicide are coming forward to back his claims. One of the most talked about conspiracy theories of the mid80s and early 90s had to do with the crack epidemic. In july 1995, san jose mercurynews reporter gary webb found the big onethe blockbuster story every journalist secretly dreams aboutwithout even looking for it. A simple phone call concerning an unexceptional pending drug trial turned into a massive conspiracy involving the nicaraguan contra rebels, l. First published by global research in july 2016 the heroin epidemic resembles the days when crack cocaine became the major drug that destroyed communities across the united states and other parts of the world including the caribbean that began in the early 1980s. Cia and the crack epidemic documentary was a great piece of news journalism for mainstream america. The cia, contras, gangs, and crack institute for policy. This documentary by awardwinning filmmaker marc levin slam, mr. The igs report cleared the cia of complicity with the innercity crack cocaine trade.
While much of the ciacontradrug story had been revealed years ago in the press and in congressional hearings, the mercury news series added a crucial missing link. Kill the messenger crack in america in theaters friday. Cia director john deutch, meanwhile, has ordered his inspector general to file a report on the subject within 60 days. Webb also said the cia was aware that proceeds from the sales of those. Original twopart documentary on al jazeera america freeway. The crack epidemic started by the assistance of the f. 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. The cia, the contras, and the crack cocaine explosion is a 1998 book by journalist gary webb. Cia involvement in contra cocaine trafficking wikipedia. The book is based on dark alliance, webbs threepart investigative series published in the san jose mercury news in august 1996. Crack in the system official trailer 2014 marc levin. The fbis war on black america top documentary films.
Decadesold cia crackcocaine scandal gains new momentum. This article was edited by lowell bergman, series reporter for drug wars. In 1996 the agency was accused of being a crack dealer. The documentary series then delves into the rise of the cocaine cowboys, a secret island cocaine base, the cia s 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. Since its creation in 1947 under president harry truman, the cia has been credited with a number of farfetched operations. 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. Did the cia play a role in launching the crack cocaine epidemic.
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 cia, the drug dealers, and the tragedy of gary webb. Crack cocaine, cops, and community action with cornell ward. The crack epidemic coincidentally began around the same time when the irancontra scandal was. Special reports cocaine, conspiracy theories and the cia. It has long been known that the cia has illegally toppled foreign governments. The cia, the drug dealers, and the tragedy of gary webb telegraph. He had book offers, a movie offer, but he told me it seemed like the. Heres how the crack epidemic brought a city to its knees. Untouchable, brick city exposes how the infiltration of crack cocaine destroyed innercity neighborhoods across the country. This 1996 interview with gary webb took place after his dark alliance newspaper series made waves across the country for piecing together the puzzle of the us crack epidemic. The crack epidemic in the united states was a surge of crack cocaine use in major cities across. When addiction has a white face the new york times. 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.
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