Did the FBI intentionally introduce drugs into "Black" neighborhoods?

[Wowbagger]

Interesting conversation at the bookstore, today. It started with a lady talking to some of the employees about O'Reilly's restaurant comment (I think it was the one discussed in this thread: http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=93984 ). At first, the employees were making more sense, taking the lady to task for various fallacies she was making. However, the conversation moved into the area of drugs. And, that is when one of the employees stated something I was rather skeptical about:

He claimed that the FBI intentionally introduced heroin into the "Black" communities, in order to suppress them.

We did not have time to discuss his evidence much further. But, he cited the following books for reference in this matter:

The Underground Empire by James Mills
Agents of Repression by Ward Churchill (whom, I understand, has a reputation for bad research)
Drug Wars: Concise History, author not supplied, and I could not find it on Google. I might have to ask him more about identifying this book, later.

My initial reaction was the standard line: Never attribute to malice what can better be explained by incompetence.
But, I promised I would look more into his claim, and get back to him, before I criticized it, since I did not know very much about the history of drugs, myself.

Anyone, here, have anything they would like to contribute?

Keep in mind that: I might actually invite the bookstore employees to read, and participate in, this thread! So, please be on your best behavior: Constructive contributions only, please!!

[Brainster]

He claimed that the FBI intentionally introduced heroin into the "Black" communities, in order to suppress them.

The actual claim is that the CIA introduced crack into the ghettos in order to fund the Contras. Solid discussion of this (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/race_relations/july-dec96/cia_11-18.html) from the News Hour with Jim Lehrer here.

JEFFREY KAYE: But while Blum lends credence to some of the allegations raised by the Mercury News, major newspapers have criticized the series. The L.A. Times, Washington Post, and New York Times have all run articles, saying the Mercury News overstated the facts. Leo Wolinsky is Metropolitan editor of the L.A. Times.

LEO WOLINSKY, L.A. Times: The main weakness was the basic allegation that the contras had made millions from dealing drugs on the streets of Los Angeles, working through a northern California drug dealer.

[Loss Leader]

I found the book Cocaine: An Unauthorized Biography (http://www.amazon.com/Cocaine-Unauthorized-Biography-Dominic-Streatfeild/dp/0312422261/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-1432055-3682224?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1191195419&sr=8-1) by Dominick Streatfield to be an excellent and easily readable history of coke and crack in America.

Streatfield's research leads him to the conclusion that the CIA was operating in Latin America at the time of cocaine's surge in popularity and CIA agents cooperated with unsavory individuals of all types to try to further their agendas. That meant that they ignored a lot of very suspicious activities by their "friends" in order to accomplish their goals of reforming (or replacing) certain South American governments. However, any claim that the CIA helped import drugs or ran any opperation importing drugs is absolutely false. They just didn't stop it because it wasn't their mission.

As regards the CIA and heroin, I've never heard anything at all about any connection. The only exception would be the movie Lethal Weapon which revolved around a heroin-smuggling operation among special forces Viet Nam vets. But I must stress that, as far as I know, that was only a movie. Gary Busey is an actor (albeit a mentally ill one). Mel Gibson, while struggling with an addiction to alcohol, has never been accused of being on the horse.

[Redtail]

The actual claim is that the CIA introduced crack into the ghettos in order to fund the Contras. Solid discussion of this (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/race_relations/july-dec96/cia_11-18.html) from the News Hour with Jim Lehrer here.

Actually there is a theory that heroin was introduced into Black communities by a government agency. I've heard it before in discussions at school and it is addressed directly in the book Soul on Bikes: The East Bay Dragons MC and the Black Biker Experience in that they had to create a "no needle" rule meaning that no narcotics were allowed. I don't have that book with me at the moment (I'm still in the move from hell.) but the theory is there (as is the theory that crack was introduced into the ghettos by the CIA.)

I have to question both since many Hells Angles chapters had to create a no needle rule also and while I haven't seen many White people on crack I haven't seen many Black people on Meth. Maybe if the argument was class instead of race there would be more of an argument.

[A W Smith]

Actually they are confused. It was Hollywood that the FBI introduced crack and heroin into to silence the left coast loonies. :D

[Wowbagger]

Thanks for the feedback, thus far.

It does look like the "real" claim is of the CIA. But, I am pretty sure the bookstore guy said FBI. Maybe he was confusing the two, or maybe my memory is faulty. Or, perhaps, to the CTers, it doesn't really make a difference.

But, either way, I am starting to build ammo against this claim. Again, thanks, everyone!

[Good Lt]

There was another book/Investigative report called Dark Alliance (http://www.lycaeum.org/drugwar/DARKALLIANCE/) by Gary Webb which tried to tie the CIA-backed contra revolution in Nicaragua to the crack explosion in the 1980s.

I don't think the FBI had anything to do with it.

[Good Lt]

And for a laugh, check out "How Ronald Reagan created gangsta rap. (http://www.lycaeum.org/drugwar/DARKALLIANCE/reagnrap.gif)"

No stone left unturned.