http://www.sjmercury.com/drugs/

http://www.sjmercury.com/drugs/
November/December 1996

The above web site contains some of the hottest information I've seen in a long time. It's not completely new info, the basic tenets are old hat, but it completes the picture. This is the web site of the San Jose Mercury News and their story of how the cocaineimporting CIA sanctioned contra resupply operation in the mid 1980s was directly putting cocaine into the hands of the gangs of L.A. There's been little glimmers in the news about this since the west coast daily ran the story August 1820, and the Congressional Black Caucus, with Maxine Waters in the lead, called for a full investigation. But this is a story neither political party would touch this fall, because both parties are complicit. Thanks to the Internet, its there; and we have it at the CMC for you to see. Thirty pages worth--so far--which include the three day report and followup pieces, as well as links to background documents.

What took place, in a nutshell, was that the antiSandinista fervor of both the CIA and the Nicaraguans who lost materially when the revolution toppled the Somoza dictatorship, used cocaine importation and sales to fund the antiSandinista Contra forces, and the other branches of the U.S. law enforcement went along for the ride. A hundred kilos a week, countless lives and families destroyed, to fund the Contras, who in turn destroyed schools, health clinics, and made war on the civilians of Nicaragua, trying to make them turn against the Sandinistas.

You can see why people get skeptical about the sincerity of all the "war on drugs" rhetoric.

The linkage of cocaine smuggling to the Contra operations is far from new. The plane Eugene Hasnentus was shot down in 1986, which led to the unraveling of Iran/Contra, was previously involved in drug running. I remember back in the period 198889 we in the anti-intervention movement manufactured buttons reading "CIA Cocaine Importation Agency" and "Bankrupt the CIA, Boycott Cocaine." But this story has the names and events in a complete picture. A horrible picture, yet frighteningly, the true picture, of how the United States' CIA operates.

If you can't get to the CMC to read it and are not able to access the Web, we'll mail it to you. Send $5 (minimum) for the 30 pages mailed to your home ($2 copying + $3 postage) Send a bit extra if you can, we could use it.