The Great Pretense
A Tour Through the Boneyard of the CIA's War for Drugs
Book •
Bill Conroy's 'The Great Pretense' investigates the intelligence operations connected to the U.S.
drug war, focusing on CIA involvement, inter-agency turf wars, and how assets and informants are used.
Drawing on decades of reporting on the U.S.
–Mexico border and narco-trafficking, Conroy traces cases where intelligence priorities conflicted with law enforcement goals, producing deadly consequences.
The book situates current cartel violence within long-running policies and programs, arguing that budgets, power incentives, and corruption perpetuate the conflict.
Conroy also explores historical episodes such as Iran-Contra-era connections and the use of narco-assets to advance geopolitical objectives.
He offers critiques of supply-side enforcement and calls for rethinking drug policy toward harm reduction and attacking money flows.
drug war, focusing on CIA involvement, inter-agency turf wars, and how assets and informants are used.
Drawing on decades of reporting on the U.S.
–Mexico border and narco-trafficking, Conroy traces cases where intelligence priorities conflicted with law enforcement goals, producing deadly consequences.
The book situates current cartel violence within long-running policies and programs, arguing that budgets, power incentives, and corruption perpetuate the conflict.
Conroy also explores historical episodes such as Iran-Contra-era connections and the use of narco-assets to advance geopolitical objectives.
He offers critiques of supply-side enforcement and calls for rethinking drug policy toward harm reduction and attacking money flows.
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William Ramsey
The Great Pretense: A Tour Through the Boneyard of the CIA's War for Drugs with Author Bill Conroy.
