Q156 Summary

Summary prepared by Fielding M. McGehee III. If you use this material, please credit The Jonestown Institute. Thank you.

To read the Tape Transcript, click here. Listen to MP3 (Pt. 1, Pt. 2).
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FBI Catalogue: Jones Speaking

FBI preliminary tape identification note: Labeled in part “9-25-78”

Date cues on tape: Contents of tape consistent with identification note

People named:

Bible verses cited: None

Summary:

In a tape with multiple segments, but all from a single day, Jim Jones reads portions of three feature-length articles, as well as several shorter news items, for September 25, 1978.

The three long articles are:

• A Washington Post article on the transformation of Libya by its leader Moammar Khadafy;
• A piece in Harpers and Playboy – although the second reference could be to Penthouse – about the ways in which President Carter’s National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski has advanced the goals of the Trilateral Commission; and
• Coverage – and critiques – of a lengthy policy address by Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev.

As with many of these news broadcasts, Jones interjects periodic asides, pointing out inconsistencies and hypocrisies of politicians, and the excesses and injustices of capitalism and imperialism. He makes several references to nuclear war and its inevitability, if not its immediacy or – as he quotes Brzezinski as saying – its necessity.

Other shorter items include:

• Rhodesian military strikes of rebel bases in Mozambique
• Cyrus Vance’s meetings with Mideast leaders
• Tupelo, Mississippi resistance to racism
• Arrest of protestors at Seabrook nuclear power plant in New Hampshire
• Police shooting of black youth in Washington, DC

There are several messages interspersed to the Jonestown community throughout. His discussion of bail in a criminal case leads him to condemn its use as a part of the capitalist system, although he says he would post bail for himself if he were arrested in order to continue his work for them.

He closes with several announcements, beginning with the demand that people need to be accountable for their actions and for where they are. Both the workers and their supervisors need to file reports on what they’re doing as well as on whom they observe not working. There are consequences for people who don’t, he adds. “We have too many people [in the US] depending for their freedom on our lives, our work, our energies, our productivity, and if you don’t have conscience to respond to it, then we will have structure that will require it.” He also insists that people come up with more ideas for making money and complains that he has received very few such ideas in recent weeks. All of these directivesare familiar to the community by this point.

FBI Summary:

Date of transcription: 5/25/79

In connection with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s investigation into the assassination of U.S. Congressman LEO J. RYAN at Port Kaituma, Guyana, South America, on November 18, 1978, a tape recording was obtained. This tape recording was located in Jonestown, Guyana, South America, and was turned over to U.S. Officials in Guyana and subsequently transported to the United States.

On May 24, 1979, Special Agent (name deleted) reviewed the tape numbered 1B68-6. This tape was found to contain the following:

JIM JONES talking about miscellaneous topics to include Libya and its new socialist society, MOAMMAR KHADAFY, Watergate II, Rhodesia, Russian language lessons, crew supervisor reports and letters to DICK GREGORY.

This tape was reviewed, and nothing was contained thereon which was considered to be of evidentiary nature or beneficial to the investigation of Congressman RYAN.

Differences with FBI Summary:

The summary is accurate and meets the FBI’s purposes.

Tape originally posted June 2019.