Archive
Contra Crack Series
Gary Webb's Enduring Legacy
Three years ago, investigative reporter Gary Webb committed suicide after his U.S. press colleagues helped destroy his career for daring to tell the truth about the Reagan administration's protection of cocaine trafficking by the Nicaraguan contras. In this special report, Robert Parry looks at this personal tragedy and its enduring legacy. December 11, 2007
The War on Medical Marijuana
Eleven years ago, California voters passed Prop 215, the Compassionate Use Act, permitting the use of marijuana to treat medical conditions. But state and local officials are still collaborating with federal law enforcement in a war on medical marijuana. November 6, 2007
CIA's Anti-Drug Message for Kids
The CIA wants American families to
know that it's fighting the war on drugs, but the real story isn't quite so simple or so
pretty. By Martin A. Lee. March 4, 2001
CIA Admits Tolerating Contra-Cocaine
Trafficking
House Intelligence Committee buries admissions in new contra-cocaine report. By Robert
Parry. June 8, 2000
Hyde's Blind Eye: Contras & Cocaine
The chief House manager’s double
standards on scandal. By Dennis Bernstein & Leslie Kean. December 14, 1999
Contra-Cocaine: Falling
Between the 'Crack'
Congress has taken the Nicaraguan contra-cocaine scandal
back behind closed doors, even though the CIA admitted serious wrongdoing in a public
report. By Robert Parry. June 18, 1999
L.A.'s Other Coke
Pipeline
The CIA’s contra-cocaine investigation reportedly stumbled upon a new
drug pipeline into Los Angeles, with a CIA veteran of the contra war implicated. By Robert
Parry. December 29, 1998
The Contras’
Narco-Terrorists
The Hitz report describes how some
U.S.-trained veterans of the terror wars against Fidel Castro’s Cuba turned to drug
trafficking in the 1970s and reappeared as contras supporters in the 1980s. October 15,
1998
Special
Report: CIA’s Drug Confession
In a shocking new report, CIA Inspector General Frederick Hitz confirms
long-standing allegations that drug traffickers pervaded the Nicaraguan contra war. Hitz
found evidence in the CIA’s own files connecting key contras and contra backers to
major trafficking organizations, including the Medellin cartel. One thread of evidence
even led into Ronald Reagan’s National Security Council where the contra war was
overseen by Lt. Col. Oliver North. October 15, 1998
The NYT’s New Contra Lies
The New York Times, “the
newspaper of record,” has altered the historical record, again, to protect the
Nicaraguan contras and the paper’s own bad reporting. October 1, 1998
John Hull's Great Escape
CIA-linked farmer
John Hull skipped Costa Rica to avoid a drug trial -- and got help in his escape from DEA
operatives. August 2, 1998
Special Report: Contra-Cocaine -- Justice Denied
A new Justice Department
report reveals that the Reagan-Bush administrations knew much more about Nicaraguan
contra-drug trafficking. The CIA also blocked investigators who got too close. But the
Justice report still denigrates witnesses, such as smuggler Jorge Morales, and keeps the
cover-up alive. August 2, 1998
The NYT's Contra-Cocaine Dilemma
For a dozen years, The
New York Times mocked allegations that the Nicaraguan contras were implicated in cocaine
trafficking. Finally, the nation's 'newspaper of record' is admitting that there was
something to the story after all. But the Times is still letting the CIA put its spin on
the scandal -- and the Times still doesn't want to confess its own guilt. July 23, 1998
Reality Bites
Back: Contra-Coke Proof
Incoming CIA Inspector
General Britt Snider must decide how to release an explosive report confirming long-held
suspicions that the Nicaraguan contra operation smuggled cocaine. The report implicates
the CIA and casts a dark shadow over the war run by the late CIA director William Casey
and White House aide Oliver North. July 9, 1998
Two New Contra-Coke Books
Two new books are throwing
down the gauntlet -- again -- to the CIA on the issue of drug trafficking. July 9, 1998
Listen to Bob Parry
& Gary Webb Discussing New Contra-Cocaine Report on "Democracy Now."
July 20, 1998
Contra-Coke: Evidence of
Premeditation
A memo reveals how CIA Director
William J. Casey engineered a legal change in 1982 that spared the spy agency from a legal
requirement to report on drug smuggling by agents. The memo, released by Rep. Maxine
Waters, is evidence that Casey anticipated cocaine trafficking by the Nicaraguan contras.
June 1, 1998
Contra Cocaine: Bad to Worse
The CIA has issued part one of its
long-awaited Nicaraguan contra cocaine report. While the spy agency hopes everyone will
just read the executive summary, the fine print of the report shows that the drug
trafficking was a severe problem. (2/16/98)
Contra-Crack Guide: Reading
Between the Lines
The CIA and the Justice Department are
clearing themselves of wrongdoing on alleged Nicaraguan contra-crack sales. Yet, while the
verdicts are public, the actual evidence is still under wraps. And reporter Gary Webb has
lost his job. (1/5/98)
Hung Out to Dry: 'Dark Alliance'
Series Dies
Under pressure from the Big Media, San
Jose Mercury News editors pulled reporter Gary Webb off the contra-drug story. But in a
first-person account, Webb's co-author in Nicaragua warns about dangers to others who
worked on the story. (6/30/97)
CIA, Contras & Cocaine: Big
Media Rejoices
The nation's leading newspapers
celebrated a column by a San Jose Mercury News editor, backing away from last year's
series linking the Nicaraguan contras to the nation's 'crack' epidemic. But the evidence
of contra drugs remains, as do questions about the big media's hostility toward the
decade-old story. (6/2/97)
CIA & Cocaine: Agency Assets
Cross the Line
The CIA faces a new drug-trafficking embarrassment with the Miami indictment of a
Venezuelan general who worked with the CIA on narcotics issues. But the problem goes far
deeper, all the way down to the spy agency's Cold War roots. (3/17/97)
Contra-Crack: Investigators vs.
Brickwall
Maxine Waters tracks CIA-contra-crack
suspicions. (2/3/97)
Contra-Crack: Contra Crack
Controversy Continues
A new report backs the allegations and
chastises the big papers. (1/6/97)
Contra-Crack: CIA, Drugs &
National Press
When a West Coast
paper published new evidence linking the CIA-managed Nicaraguan contra rebels to cocaine
smuggling, the Washington press rallied to the spy agency's defense -- and pummeled the
out-of-step journalists. (12/23/96)
Contra-Crack: The Kerry-Weld
Cocaine War
While Sen. John Kerry led the fight to
expose the contra-crack drug trade, Gov. Bill Weld stalled. (11/11/96)
Contra-Crack: Contra-Crack Story
Assailed (Part 1)
The Washington Post
rushes to the CIA's defense. (10-28-96)
Contra-Crack: Contra-Crack Story
Assailed (Part 2)
The Washington Times' Pro-Contra beat
goes on. (10-28-96)
Contra-Crack: Blacks Angered by
Contra-Crack
A published report of
CIA-backed crack cocaine dealing in black communities across America has touched a raw
nerve among black leaders. (9-30-96) |