Newsweek was a major American news magazine that covered the [[Dark Alliance]] story. The magazine was also connected to the Contra war's origins: according to one account, [[Central Intelligence Agency]] director [[William J. Casey]] himself leaked news of the Contra project to Newsweek to ensure it could not be abandoned.[^1] ### Casey's Leak According to reports, Casey wanted to ensure that the Contra project did not get shelved. Once it became public knowledge that the Reagan administration was helping the [[Contras]], Casey reasoned, stopping it would look like a sellout, another [[Bay of Pigs|Bay of Pigs]]. The deliberate leak to Newsweek illustrated how the CIA used the media to build political support for its covert operations and to box in congressional opponents.[^2] ### Footnotes [^1]: Gary Webb, *Dark Alliance*, Ch. 6. [^2]: Gary Webb, *Dark Alliance*, Ch. 6.