Cia crack epidemic documentary 2016

He had book offers, a movie offer, but he told me it seemed like the. One of the most talked about conspiracy theories of the mid80s and early 90s had to do with the crack epidemic. Webb also said the cia was aware that proceeds from the sales of those. 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. 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 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 crack epidemic in the united states was a surge of crack cocaine use in major cities across. The original series claimed that, in order to help raise funds for efforts against the nicaraguan sandinista government, the cia supported cocaine. Freeway ricky ross gets candid about the opioid crisis. The crack epidemic coincidentally began around the same time when the irancontra scandal was. The us government cia is responsible for the crack epidemic. Teddy mcdonald carter hudson, a cia operative running from a dark past.

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. 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. In july 1995, san jose mercurynews reporter gary webb found the big onethe blockbuster story every journalist secretly dreams aboutwithout even looking for it. Kill the messenger crack in america in theaters friday. The cia, the drug dealers, and the tragedy of gary webb telegraph. Teddy mcdonald carter hudson, a cia operative running from a. Kill the messenger includes documentary coverage of congressperson maxine waters and other black leaders demanding the cia fess up. 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. Webbs articles were welcomed by oppressed people as proving the drug war was aimed at them. A steady course of africanamerican progress was essentially halted in its tracks as the crack epidemic escalated, peaked and, finally, in the late 1990s, began to subside. The cia, contras, gangs, and crack institute for policy. Here are 10 things to know about gary webb and his report that linked the cia to crack cocaine. 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. The cia, the contras, and the crack cocaine explosion is a 1998 book by journalist gary webb.

He began his career working for newspapers in kentucky and ohio, winning numerous awards, and building a strong reputation for investigative writing. Decadesold cia crackcocaine scandal gains new momentum. 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. Most popular crack cocaine movies and tv shows imdb. Did the cia play a role in launching the crack cocaine epidemic.

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. When crack hit america in the mid1980s, for africanamericans, to borrow from tanehisi coates, civilization fell. A commonheld belief was that the cia flooded the black community with crack. The return of freeway ricky ross, the man behind a crack. In this case, the cia s activities led to the crack epidemic in americas inner cities, which caused american citizens much pain and misery. During the 1980s, the war on drugs became defined by cocaine and crack. The crack epidemic started by the assistance of the f. The crack epidemic served as an excuse to lock up hundreds of thousands of black and latinoa people on drug charges. Ross is featured in the 2015 twopart documentary freeway. Since its creation in 1947 under president harry truman, the cia has been credited with a number of farfetched operations. The book is based on dark alliance, webbs threepart investigative series published in the san jose mercury news in august 1996. Heres how the crack epidemic brought a city to its knees. The fbis war on black america top documentary films. 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.

I dont think well see docs like that on tv anytime soon. Cia director john deutch, meanwhile, has ordered his inspector general to file a report on the subject within 60 days. Crack in the system, which details various levels of the drug trade, the irancontra scandal, and mass incarceration. 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. 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. It refuted charges that cia officials knew that their nicaraguan allies were dealing drugs.

Cia played a role in promoting crack, ceppos and webb have said that. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Mainstream media finally exposes cia drug trafficking. The cia, contras, gangs, and crack 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.

Below is a 1990s documentary exposing the franklin cover. In 1996 the agency was accused of being a crack dealer. There is a documentary called freeway rick ross that details the cia s involvement. The cia, the drug dealers, and the tragedy of gary webb. Cia and the crack epidemic documentary was a great piece of news journalism for mainstream america. Reviewed in the united states on november 11, 2016. 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. I has destroyed african american people, culture, and communities.

A number of writers have alleged that the united states central intelligence agency cia was involved in cocaine trafficking during the 1980s. When addiction has a white face the new york times. The igs report cleared the cia of complicity with the innercity crack cocaine trade. This article was edited by lowell bergman, series reporter for drug wars. Crack in the system official trailer 2014 marc levin cia contra documentary hd directed by marc levin, freeway. How the cias crackcocaine controversy destroyed journalist gary webb. In this episode, chris calton explains how the potent mix of politicians and fake news created the myth of the crack baby, while the cia became drug runners for the contras. Outraged at cia role in drug trade duke university. 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. A series of expose articles in the san jose mercurynews by reporter gary webb told tales of a drug.

Untouchable, brick city exposes how the infiltration of crack cocaine destroyed innercity neighborhoods across the country. Snowfall is compelling and believable which is why it. Special reports cocaine, conspiracy theories and the cia. It has long been known that the cia has illegally toppled foreign governments. 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. Cia involvement in contra cocaine trafficking wikipedia. Central intelligence agency ties to drug trafficking and the 1980s crack cocaine epidemic that devastated neighborhoods, destroyed families. 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. Special reports cocaine, conspiracy theories and the cia in. Key figures in ciacrack cocaine scandal begin to come forward. Crack in the system official trailer 2014 marc levin. 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. Ross recently came back into the public eye as a key character in and behindthescenes player with freeway.

A simple phone call concerning an unexceptional pending drug trial turned into a massive conspiracy involving the nicaraguan contra rebels, l. Crack cocaine, cops, and community action with cornell ward. 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. Gary webb, shadowy origins of crack epidemic, san jose mercury news.