NYT’s Belated Admission on Contra-Cocaine

[marmar]

from Consortium News:



NYT’s Belated Admission on Contra-Cocaine
October 4, 2014

Exclusive: Since the Contra-cocaine scandal surfaced in 1985, major U.S. news outlets have disparaged it, most notably when the big newspapers destroyed Gary Webb for reviving it in 1996. But a New York Times review of a movie on Webb finally admits the reality, writes Robert Parry.

By Robert Parry


Nearly three decades since the stories of Nicaraguan Contra-cocaine trafficking first appeared in 1985, the New York Times has finally, forthrightly admitted the allegations were true, although this belated acknowledgement comes in a movie review buried deep inside Sunday’s paper.

The review addresses a new film, “Kill the Messenger,” that revives the Contra-cocaine charges in the context of telling the tragic tale of journalist Gary Webb who himself revived the allegations in 1996 only to have the New York Times and other major newspapers wage a vendetta against him that destroyed his career and ultimately drove him to suicide.

The Times’ movie review by David Carr begins with a straightforward recognition of the long-denied truth to which now even the CIA has confessed: “If someone told you today that there was strong evidence that the Central Intelligence Agency once turned a blind eye to accusations of drug dealing by operatives it worked with, it might ring some distant, skeptical bell. Did that really happen? That really happened.”

Although the Times’ review still quibbles with aspects of Webb’s “Dark Alliance” series in the San Jose Mercury-News, the Times appears to have finally thrown in the towel when it comes to the broader question of whether Webb was telling important truths. .................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://consortiumnews.com/2014/10/04/nyts-belated-admission-on-contra-cocaine/

[Baitball Blogger]

1. I'm sure that everyone has connected the two in one punch.

Get the Black communities hooked on cocaine, and when crack was finally developed, the criminal justice system did the rest.

Dear God. Why did they hate black people so much. Does it really come down to prejudice?

[PeoViejo]

2. It's all about Voter Suppression

Make someone a Felon, take away their Vote and make them a Slave to the Prison-industrial Complex.

[Baitball Blogger]

3. Good Lord.

Now I can see why Republicans are so unaffected by issues that relate to minorities. Someone has been running interference for them for decades.

[Jackpine Radical]

5. Voter suppression plus a couple other things--

Incapacitating a large number of potential rebels, justifying Gestapo drug warriors, keeping the lower classes divided, etc. It was really quite a brilliant tactic for the power elite.

[PeoViejo]

20. Argentina's 'Reward' for voting-in a democratic government:

The Elites crushed their Economy and gave them this:

http://www.vice.com/read/smoke-paco-and-become-one-of-the-walking-dead

[Jackpine Radical]

21. Wow. I had never heard of it before.

[PeoViejo]

24. Nicaragua < Poppy > Argentina

I asked a Senior Manager as to why we were attacking Civilian Infrastructure in Nicaragua (Roads, Bridges, Construction Equipment, Transportation, Medical Clinics and Schools). He said that they wanted to make the lives of the Civilian Population so miserable, that they would turn against the Sandinistas.

That's the Mindset they keep going back to, over and over.

[heaven05]

17. Oh no!!!!!

that can't be true!!! Can it.

[Jackpine Radical]

26. I don't think it's simply prejudice.

Much more instrumental and vicious than that.
1) Blacks tend to vote Democratic, and lose their vote as felons (permanently in a few states).
2) Because blacks are the "out-group," whites don't notice the rapid erosion of civil liberties when blacks are (at first) the main victims
3) The prison-industrial complex is a great money maker
4) Prison labor is another way of re-instituting slave labor
5) By keeping whites afraid of blacks, it's easier to control the whole population

I could think of some more reasons, but you get the general idea.

[rhett o rick]

4. How many years was this just a conspiracy theory (CT)? I wonder what our own

DU anti-CT posse thinks about this article. People conspire and in politics people conspire a lot.

[Jackpine Radical]

6. "Conspiracy theory" is a term like "class warfare"--

Somehow, when you apply the label, it makes an issue taboo for serious consideration. Handy, really handy.

[rhett o rick]

7. IMO it's the conservative mindset that fears CT. They think they alone understand reality

and are passionately against those that see reality differently. I think they are authoritarians that don't want to know their leaders might conspire in a manner that isn't favorable to them. They choose denial over transparency, and in some cases over justice.

[Jackpine Radical]

8. I think you need to distinguish, as Altemeyer does, between

Authoritarian Leaders (AL) and Authoritarian Followers (AF). Essentially, the AL are themselves the conspirators and class warriors, and they have conditioned the AF types to go baying off like a pack of hounds intent on tearing to shreds anyone who gets too close to exposing the conspiracies. As happened in this instance. The Mainslime Media are the vehicles by which the ALs program the AFs.

[Eleanors38]

11. Maybe it's the art of MSM's actions. The bald

simultaneous editorials that not only say Do Not Go There, but also say Think Like We Say. If MSM pulled this off like a crappy vaudeville hat trick, therein is the message: Sorry, we are the brick wall, whether we like it or not, so take a hint.

And shut up for all our sakes.

[rhett o rick]

14. Yes, I absolutely agree. nm

[Enthusiast]

28. +1 You nailed it.

[Enthusiast]

29. +1! That's why they created it, so handy.

[Eleanors38]

12. It's the one grand CT that still stands outside the door.

[rhett o rick]

32. yes!

[Jackpine Radical]

34. But what about the JFK, MLK & RFK killings?

LIHOP?

FLorida 2000?

The Goddam Lincoln assassination, for that matter?

Need I go on?

[rhett o rick]

39. "Need I go on?" Can we stop you?"

I hope not. You can always "go on" here.

[Eleanors38]

35. The glaring question not answered: Why?

Has anyone in all of this asked "Why?" I rather suspect not.

[karynnj]

16. Actually given that the CIA agreed to all that was in the Kerry report in the mid 1990s,

I think there are few here that would not concede that the charges in the Kerry report were accurate. Recently, someone posted a Bill Moyers program from the late 1980s (I think) that dealt with this and one person interviewed was a very junior Senator Kerry.

It is worth relistening to what he had to say. His report actually alleged much of what Webb wrote of. The difference was Kerry stopped with what could be proved in a court of law. That was bad enough - and contributed to ending any more cocaine/arm flights. Not to mention, most of the charges of perjury that people like North and Abrahms faced were for lying to Kerry. Kerry was too junior to get a seat on the Iran/Contra committee - as many Democrats sought to be on it. He did though play a role when he was invited to requestion some of the people he had questioned earlier. (This was NOT true when Kerry, risking his life and reputation, took on the investigation).

Now, before you ask why he barely referred to this in 2004 - he did speak of ending bad things - remember that that summer Reagan dies and the media came close to nominating him for sainthood. Not to mention, to a country traumatized by 911 and at war, the idea that the US government allowed this to happen was one trauma too far. It would be easier for people to reject it as true (and hate Kerry), then to accept it, question their country's "exceptionalism" and realize that in Kerry they were not being offered a run of the mill politician with no core beliefs.

[Eleanors38]

9. I remember the unprecedented 3-in-1 editorials that smashed Webb...

NYT, WaPO, LAT ran editorial condemnations of Webb On The Same Day. Shortly after Webb's death, the NYT admitted his reporting was accurate and his facts were Kosher, and nothing more. What the NYT & the others will not deal with is "WHY!"

Our family followed the reporting and Congressional hearings on TV, and saw what went on. Then the 3 Eds.

We were no longer disabused as to who controls MSM.

And they still won't say WHY.

[reddread]

23. well, remember when "reparations" were still a notion worth batting down?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reparations_for_slavery_debate_in_the_United_States

I would say these historical facts were worthy of a completely different round of reparations.

meanwhile...

[malthaussen]

10. When did it stop being "Iran-Contra?"

I never seem to get the memo for these things.

-- Mal

[karynnj]

13. They did report, but buried it deep in the paper when the CIA conceded in the 1990s that

the Kerry report was accurate. (This was done to avoid it being re-examined. Kerry had done an excellent job and in the report, as befits his reputation as an outstanding prosecutor before he became he became a public official, Kerry listed JUST what he could prove. Webb, as a reporter, could and did go further. )

[grasswire]

15. the anti-CT group on DU has already thrown Parry under the bus.

Also, he has dared to criticize current administration which makes him, you know, a hack.

[99Forever]

18. Some of us have known this all along.

We sure don't need confirmation from that worthless rag.

Corporate media is just another tool of 1%.

[FairWinds]

19. The other side of this story is . .

the Reagan administration's use of drug-thugs to attack
the government and people of Nicaragua, mostly from
bases in Honduras.
Of course, this destabilized Honduras as well, and is
a partial explanation of the failed state it has become,
and the flood of refugees to the US.
In other words . . blowback.
AND BTW, someone should ask Olie North to
comment on this. He played a major role
in these crimes.

[MisterP]

22. "there, now we can stop talking about it": Ollie, BTW, is the reason we have Red Ribbon Week

(though he was NSC, not CIA--there's so many camarillas running at once)
1500 kilos cocaine is a LOT
NSFW wiki article

[Babel_17]

25. Kick (RIP)

[Enthusiast]

27. Hold it right there! It is still going on.

Opium poppy production has soared since the US invasion of Afghanistan.

It is no coincidence that Dim Son was president during this massive surge in US heroin use and Poppy was the architect of the whole Central America 1980s crack cocaine clusterfuck.

They do this stuff because they never have to answer for it. Think about it. W and his dad should have been thrown into prison for life for the shit they have done. But you can't even criticize them in public. President Obama acts like the sun rises and sets on Poppy's ass.

Think the very worst you can imagine with these Nazis and you'll get closer to the truth.

[rhett o rick]

41. "President Obama acts like the sun rises and sets on Poppy's ass. "

I believe that the country is run by a powerful cabal that outranks the President. I also think the Bush Crime Family has a hand in that Cabal. Don't tell the DU anti-CT posse.

[Enthusiast]

30. K&R! This post should have hundreds of recommendations!

And it should.

[WillyT]

31. HUGE K & R !!! - Thank You !!!

[reddread]

33. So much blood on their presses

an acceptable source?

[RufusTFirefly]

36. Gary Webb gave his life for the truth

In this instance (unlike in others), I don't think they killed him directly. And yet, what they did to him ultimately destroyed him and led to his death.

RIP Mr. Webb.

[777man]

37. (1986-2010) 100:1 sentencing disparity for blacks arrested on crack charges

(1986-2010) 100:1 sentencing disparity for blacks arrested on crack charges

To fully understand the implications of this movie-- after basically flooding the streets with drugs, the feds then increased prison sentences for the mostly black crack users and sellers (80% of those arrested for crack) to a 100:1 ratio.

--meaning a black user with 5 grams (a small rock) got a 5 year sentence
--a white person possessing 500 grams (over a pound) would get a 5 year sentence.


Communities were devastated. An entire generation of black people were imprisoned by the new law. People died and had their health damaged by the CONTRA Drugs




https://secure.huffingtonpost.com/tag/crack-cocaine-sentencing/

---------------------------

A rush to judgment

In 1986, lawmakers wrote new mandatory crack cocaine penalties in a few short days, using the advice of a perjurer.
March 23, 2014 12:00AM E

http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/3/23/a-rush-to-judgment.html


------------------------

Congress narrows disparity between sentences for crack vs. powder cocaine convictions

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/07/28/congress-moves-narrow-disparity-crack-powder-cocaine-sentences/

Crack-Powder Sentencing Disparity: Whites Get Probation, Blacks Get A Decade Behind Bars
https://secure.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/02/crack-powder-sentencing-d_n_667317.html

http://jurist.org/paperchase/2011/06/ussc-unanimously-approves-retroactive-application-of-reduced-crack-sentencing-law.php


-------------read more here


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_Sentencing_Act

"The sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine has contributed to the imprisonment of African Americans at six times the rate of whites and to the United States' position as the world's leader in incarcerations."

---U.S. Senator Dick Durbin,
---------------------------------------



United States Sentencing Commission Special Report to the Congress: Cocaine and Federal Sentencing Policy, February 1995
http://www.ussc.gov/crack/execsum.pdf


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[daredtowork]

38. This is why my instinct is always to support the whistleblower

When powerful interests prefer to cover up the truth, there is nothing they won't resort to in order to discredit, neutralize, and shut up the whistleblower. They have PR people to manipulate the media, they have lawyers to manipulate the legal system. When whistleblowers emerge, they need to be reinforced by strong grassroots support from the get-go.

[rhett o rick]

40. Does anyone have a good summary of Iran-Contra? nm

[Scuba]

42. Great thred. Thanks marmar and all who contributed.