It is one of the most highly additive and destructive drugs in the world. One of the biggest government scandals of the 1980s was the iran contra affair. The history of the iran contra affair has a deeprooted connection to the crack explosion. Ciacontra connection recent central american history.
He wrote about the cocaine trafficking trial of a former contra leader. In recent years he worked as a producer on the emmy nominated documentary freeway. Allegations of a cia connection to crack cocaine epidemic. Stories had previously been written about the contras alleged ties to drug. This creates a short high, followed by tiredness, depression, panic, anxiety, and brain damage.
Special reports cocaine, conspiracy theories and the cia in. The cia, the contras and the crack cocaine explosion detailing his. Nov 29, 2019 the crack epidemic coincidentally began around the same time when the iran contra scandal was being exposed. The cia, the drug dealers, and the tragedy of gary webb telegraph. Moore has contributed pieces to huffington post, and thegrio on topics of race, mass incarceration, and economics.
Jul 05, 2017 snowfall, the ambitious new drama from john singleton, is another winner for fx. 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. Blame reagan for making me into a monster blame oliver north and iran contra i ran contraband that they sponsored. 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. The history of the irancontra affair has a deeprooted connection to the crack explosion. Allegedly fueled by cia involvement stemming from the. Snowfall is a onehour drama set against the infancy of the crack cocaine epidemic and its ultimate radical impact on the culture as we. Decadesold cia crackcocaine scandal gains new momentum rt. They also contributed some money to the contra cause. Jun 04, 20 how john kerry exposed the iran contra scandal and showed the cracks in the war on drugs cant you tell that i came from the dope game. In 1996, a bombshell report by journalist gary webb claimed that the central intelligence agency cia supported cocaine trafficking into the u. The true story of the 1980s crack epidemic is still untold. The crack epidemic coincidently began around the same time when the iran contra scandal was being exposed. It tells the story of the effects of mass incarceration, the iran contra, and the resulting crack cocaine epidemic that swept across america.
Reporter tries to set the record straight on cia, crack. In the interview notes with filmmaker levin, blandon confirms his support of the contras and his role in drug trafficking, but downplays his significance. President bill clinton gets it wrong on mass incarceration. Snowfall is a onehour drama set against the infancy of the crack cocaine epidemic and.
Cia involvement in contra cocaine trafficking wikipedia. The top secret computer messages the reaganbush white house tried to destroy. Jun 26, 2017 the full story of the 1980s crack epidemic is still yet to be told. Dec 31, 2004 crack, the cia and black americas drug crisis. The cia, the drug dealers, and the tragedy of gary webb. Maxine waters, dlos angeles, who pointed to webbs articles as proof of a.
The crack epidemic coincidentally began around the same time when the iran contra scandal was being exposed. Cia involvement in trafficking is usually alleged to be connected to the contra war in nicaragua and the iran contra affair. His gripping new book, richly researched and documented, deserves an even wider audience and discussion. Heres how the crack epidemic brought a city to its knees.
The cia, contras, gangs, and crack institute for policy studies. The investigation by excia operative goss had focused specifically on a story reported by gary webb in the san jose mercury news in august 1996 that alleged that the crack epidemic in california could be traced to two ciaconnected nicaraguan cocaine dealers who used at least part of their profits to finance the nicaraguan contra. Key figures in ciacrack cocaine scandal begin to come forward. Key figures in ciacrack cocaine scandal begin to come. The reagan administration and the cia also collaborated with nicaraguan cocaine traffickers to support the contras led to the crack epidemic of the 1980s. Allegedly fueled by cia involvement stemming from the iran contra affair, the drug started flowing to the u.
Showtime drama to chronicle origins of crack cocaine epidemic. 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 center for disease control cdc reported back in 2015 that heroin use in the united states increased 63% from 2002 through 20. The big lie is that we started it all the crack epidemic we were just a small part. A number of writers have alleged that the united states central intelligence agency cia was. He is also one of the producers of the documentary on the iran contra, crack cocaine epidemic and the resulting issues of mass incarceration freeway. Special reports cocaine, conspiracy theories and the cia. Small doses of it are smoked into the lungs and delivered quickly to the brain. 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. Aug 05, 2019 as is norths complicity in the trafficking of cocaine by contras to the us in order to further fund their attacks. Cia involvement in trafficking is usually alleged to be connected to the contra war in nicaragua and the irancontra affair during the reagan.
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