Dark alliance is the final installment of my cocaine trilogy. First was the excellent Cocaine Politics, then Whiteout, and finally Dark Alliance. The book developed from a series of articles by the same name that appeared in the San Jose Mercury News during 1996. I remember hearing about the series at the time, but the version I heard was that it asserted the CIA deliberately introduced crack cocaine into black neighborhoods to destroy them. Well I tracked down the original articles and they made no such assertion. If the original articles pushed any kind of line, it was their assertion that the drug pipeline outlined in the article was responsible for the widespread availability of crack cocaine within Los Angeles.
The book goes into much greater detail than the articles ever did. Webb establishes a supply line of cocaine originating in Columbia, going through an exiled Nicaraguan Contra supporter (Norwin Meneses), through another Nicaraguan exile (Danilo Blandon), to a major dealer in Los Angeles (Ricky Ross), and finally to LA gang members. He establishes that Meneses was sending drug profits to support the Contras. The CIA not only knew of the drug shipments, but protected them, and interfered with other agencies (namely the DEA and FBI) who tried to investigate individuals involved. Major points in his case are made not by hearsay, but my individuals testifying under oath on behalf of the prosecution for other criminal cases. Declassified versions of CIA Inspector General reports also play a significant roll.
The book has lots of references, but I could beat Webb senseless for how he implemented them. In the reference section, there are page numbers and phrases followed by the source or context. However in the actual text there is no indication a reference exists.
I had a difficult time reading the book. Not because of the writing, but because the actions of our government made me sick to my stomach. In the end, the CIA will facilitate the death of American citizens to support its own agenda. Something to think about in these days when Bush wants to give the CIA more money and power.