In the dark alliance, drawing from the newly declassified documents, undercover dea drug enforcement administration audio and videotapes that had never been publicly released, federal court testimony, and interviews, webb demonstrates how us government knowingly allowed massive amounts of drugs and money to change hands at the expense of communities. Dark alliance by gary webb penguin books australia. In 1999, seven stories press published webbs dark alliance. All content included on our site, such as text, images, digital downloads and other, is the property of its content suppliers and protected by us and international laws. He became an investigator for the california state legislature, published a book based on the dark alliance series in 1998, and did freelance investigative reporting. Dark alliance was a series written by californiabased reporter webb and published in the san jose mercury news in 1996. Our government also covered it up and helped them along the way. Actor jeremy renner stars as investigative journalist gary webb in the. The cia, the contras, and the crack cocaine explosion by webb, gary seller ground zero books, ltd. The book is based on dark alliance, webbs threepart investigative series published in the san jose mercury news in august 1996. I began working as gary webbs editor on dark alliance, the book, in july 1997, almost a year after his newspaper series of the same name broke so controversially in the san jose mercury news. Gary webb was born on august 31, 1955 in corona, california, usa as gary stephen webb. Oct 17, 2014 but webb was a real person who wrote a real story, a threepart series called dark alliance, in august 1996 for the san jose mercury news, one of the flagship newspapers of the thenmighty. Webbs research is impeccablenames, dates, places, and.
Major motion picture based on dark alliance and starring jeremy renner, kill the messenger, to be be released in fall 2014 in august 1996, pulitzer prizewinning journalist gary webb stunned the world with a series of articles in the san jose mercury news reporting the results of his yearlong investigation into the roots of the crack cocaine. The dark alliance gary webbs incendiary 1996 sj mercury news expose aug 22, 1996 cocaine pipeline financed rebels evidence points to cia knowing of highvolume drug network by gary webb san jose mercury news for the better part of a decade, a san francisco bay area drug ring sold tons of cocaine to the crips and. How the cias crackcocaine controversy destroyed journalist gary webb, will be published in october. This is why webbs dark alliance series is an essential source, a primary text that every journalism student should study. He wrote, adark alliance does not propound a conspiracy theory.
Gary webb pushed his investigation even further in his book, dark alliance. Webbs bold, controversial reporting was the target of a famously vicious media backlash that. The cia, the drug dealers, and the tragedy of gary webb telegraph. Because of gary webbs work, said senator john kerry, the cia launched an. Unlike other books that purport to tell the inside story of americas most futile war kings of cocaine by guy gugliotta and jeff leen and desperados by elaine. He discussed his book, headline news and responded to audience telephone calls, faxes, and. I originally saw the film version, kill the messenger 2012, on a plane before i read the original source material, dark alliance 2011 by gary webbthe film made me want to know more about the true story. As recently as one year earlier gary webb had been one of the nations top investigative reporters. The original series claimed that, in order to help raise funds for efforts against the nicaraguan sandinista national liberation front sandinista government.
The original series claimed that, in order to help raise funds for efforts against the nicaraguan. How the cia watched over the destruction of gary webb. These are the words of nick schou, the oc weekly editor who wrote the book that serves as the basis, with webbs book, for the movie. Webb resigned from the mercury news in december 1997. Webb had anonymous sources he eventually named one in a later book who had been involved in the nicaraguan drug ring to back his allegations up.
Drawing from then newly declassified documents, undercover dea audio and videotapes that had never been publicly released, federal court testimony, and interviews, webb demonstrates how our government knowingly. In his book a twilight struggle, robert kagan, one of the architects of latin. The cia, the contras, and the crack cocaine explosion, the inherent racism in a covert policy that reaped so much destruction on such a vulnerable segment of society. The cia, the if adding books to this author, please use garywebb. Published 1999 condition very good edition first paperbk edition.
Eighteen years after it was published, dark alliance, the san jose mercury. If adding books to this author, please use garywebb. Dark alliance and millions of other books are available for instant access. Gary webbs dark alliance webbs dark alliance consisted of a group of rebels trying to overthrow the socialist government of nicaragua. He died on december 10, 2004 in carmichael, california. Gary webb 19552004 back dope inc authentic journalism is telling people something that the government doesnt want them to know. Gary webb was no journalism hero, despite what kill the. In july 1995, san jose mercurynews reporter gary webb found the big.
Crack in the system premiering on al jazeera america in early 2015. In 1996, journalist gary webb began looking into links between. The book has flaws, but webb deserves credit for pursuing an important piece of recent history and forcing the cia and the justice department to. Oct 24, 2014 gary webb sums up the story in his last major interview just days before his death. In july 1995, san jose mercurynews reporter gary webb found the big onethe blockbuster story every journalist secretly dreams aboutwithout even looking for it. The cia, the drug dealers, and the tragedy of gary webb. Gary stephen webb was an investigative reporter, focusing on government and private sector corruption and winning more than 30 journalism awards. The cia, the contras, and the crack cocaine explosion. The book is based on dark alliance, webb s threepart investigative series published in the san jose mercury news in august 1996. He was one of six reporters at the san jose mercury news to win a 1990 pulitzer prize for general news. Dark alliance prompted an investigation by the cia inspector general, the hitz report. The cia, the contras, and the cocaine explosion by gary webb in doc, rtf, txt download e book.
A cspan segment in which gary webb elaborates on his investigative work on the dark alliance of cia agents, contra rebels, and california drug dealers. Dark alliance by gary webb overdrive rakuten overdrive. Oct 01, 2014 gary webb pushed his investigation even further in his book, dark alliance. Gary webb, american investigative journalist who wrote a threepart series for the san jose mercury news in 1996 on connections between the central intelligence agency cia, the u. In 1996, pulitzer prizewinning journalist gary webb 19552004 wrote a shocking series of articles for the san jose mercury news exposing the cias link to nicaraguan cocaine smuggled into the us by the contras, which had fueled the widespread crack epidemic that swept through urban areas. Gary webb is the former san jose mercury news reporter whose 1996 dark alliance series on the socalled ciacrack cocaine connection created a firestorm of controversy and led to his resignation from the paper amid escalating attacks on his work by the mainstream media.
Gary webb gary webb exposed, in his dark alliance series, how cialed nicaraguan rebels brought cocaine to poor l. He reflected on his fall from grace in the 2002 book, into the buzzsaw. The cia, the contras, and the crack cocaine explosion is a 1998 book by journalist gary webb. Within the this audiobook version of dark alliance, webb produces a massive amount of evidence that suggests that such a scenario did take place, and more disturbing evidence that the powers that be that allowed such an alliance are still determined to ruthlessly guard their secrets. Gary webb, the pulitzer prizewinning reporter who broke the story of the cias involvement in the importation of cocaine into the u. He was one of six reporters at the san jose mercury news to win a 1990 pulitzer prize for general news reporting for a series of stories on the collapse of the cypress street viaduct during northern californias 1989 earthquake. Prior to dark alliance, webb said, i was winning awards, getting raises, lecturing college classes, appearing on tv. He was a writer, known for kill the messenger 2014, filming in georgia 2015 and crack in america 2015. Sep 25, 2014 he reflected on his fall from grace in the 2002 book, into the buzzsaw. Kill the messenger is based on webbs 1998 book, dark alliance, in which he attempted to rebuild his ruined reputation, as well as my 2004 biography of webb, kill the messenger, which shares the. Gary webb was an investigative reporter, focusing on government and private sector corruption and winning more than 30 journalism awards.
Gary webb august 31, 1955 december 10, 2004 was a pulitzer prizewinning american investigative journalist. An awardwinning investigative reporter, gary webb 19552004 is best known for his dark alliance series that linked a northern california drug ring with the cia and the united states burgeoning crack epidemic. Mar 21, 2015 dark alliance was a series written by californiabased reporter webb and published in the san jose mercury news in 1996. Dec, 2004 an excerpt from gary webbs dark alliance. Gary webb sums up the story in his last major interview just days before his death.
The cia, the contras and the crack cocaine explosion by gary webb isbn. It is wellsourced and webb thoroughly proved that the u. The book has flaws, but webb deserves credit for pursuing an important piece of recent history and forcing the. This is why webb s dark alliance series is an essential source, a primary text that every journalism student should study. Author and investigative journalist nick schou published numerous. There is more than one author in the goodreads database with this name. Sep 26, 20 in 1999, seven stories press published webbs dark alliance. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new. The cia, the contras, and the crack cocaine explosion, complete with extensive source citations. These contras were funded by a southern california drug ring and backed by the cia. Webbs reporting, focused on a few central players of the l. The cia, the contras, and the crack cocaine explosion reprint by gary webb, maxine waters isbn. In it, he claimed the contra rebels in nicaragua were shipping cocaine into. When the story first appeared in 1996 on the website of the san jose mercury news, it became an unprecedented internet sensation, receiving up to 1.
He discussed his book, headline news and responded to audience. The cia, the contras, and the cocaine explosion webb, gary. Webb never made that claim a though he noted in his book, dark alliance. The book is essentially two storiesthe first is the reporting that led webb to make connections between nicaraguan drug smugglers who.
Jeremy renner plays gary webb in kill the messenger. Aug 06, 2018 gary webb, the pulitzer prizewinning reporter who broke the story of the cias involvement in the importation of cocaine into the u. Oct 14, 2018 gary webb wrote the threepart expose called dark alliance, for the san jose mercury news in california, in august 1996. I originally saw the film version, kill the messenger 2012, on a plane before i read the original source material, dark alliance 2011 by gary webb the film made me want to know more about the true story. A simple phone call concerning an unexceptional pending drug trial turned into a massive conspiracy involving the nicaraguan contra rebels, l. Dark alliance was a series written by californiabased reporter webb and.
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