[Editor’s note: The text for this document was released in 2014 by the now-defunct Wikileaks website at https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/1979STATE134293_e.html.]
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STATE 134293
ORIGIN SS-15
INFO OCT-01 ARA-15 ADS-00 L-03 PA-02 OCS-06 INR-10 ICAE-00 JUSE-00 SSO-00 INRE-00 /052 R NCLASSIFIED
DRAFTED BY C:PBUNGE
APPROVED BY C:MNIMETZ
ARA/CAR:RMCCOY
L/ARA:TFORTUNE
ARA:VPVAKY
PA:WDYESS
L:LMARKS (INFO)
ARA:JABUSHNELL
——————054905 252343Z /65
O 252249Z MAY 79
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN IMMEDIATE
UNCLAS STATE 134293
FOR THE AMBASSADOR FROM THE COUNSELOR
E.O. 12065: N/A
TAGS: CASC (PEOPLES TEMPLE), GY
SUBJECT: CRIMMINS/CARPENTER REPORT ON PEOPLE’S TEMPLE
REFS: (A) GEORGETOWN 2095; (B) STATE 113907; (C) GEORGETOWN 1988
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1. I HAVE REVIEWED YOUR LETTER TO AMBASSADOR CRIMMINS AND GEORGETOWN 2095. I APPRECIATE YOUR CONCERNS AND BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE FULLY ENTITLED TO HAVE YOUR INTERPRETATION OF THE CONCLUSIONS CONTAINED IN THE CRIMMINS/CARPENTER REPORT MADE AVAILABLE. IT WOULD NOT, HOWEVER, BE APPROPRIATE FOR THE DEPARTMENT TO DO SO ON YOUR BEHALF INASMUCH AS THE REPORT REPRESENTS THE FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS OF AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION.
2. WE ARE PROVIDING THE DEPARTMENT’S PRESS CORPS WITH COMPLETE COPIES OF THE JUNE EXCHANGE OF TELEGRAMS, SO THAT THE OFFICIAL RECORD IS AS COMPLETE AS POSSIBLE. WE DO NOT INTEND TO OFFER ANY COMMENT ON THEM, OR TO ATTEMPT TO ANALYZE FURTHER THE CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH THEY WERE SENT.
3. YOU SHOULD ALSO BE AWARE THAT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT HAS REQUESTED THAT WE NOT RELEASE ANY DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE PEOPLE’S TEMPLE UNTIL ALL CURRENT CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS ARE CONCLUDED. WE HAVE SOUGHT AND OBTAINED AN EXEMPTION FOR THE JUNE EXCHANGE OF TELEGRAMS. THIS PROHIBITION WOULD NOT BAR APPROPRIATE RELEASE OF YOUR OWN PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS.
4. IN CLOSING, LET ME REITERATE MY UNDERSTANDING FOR THE CONCERNS THAT HAVE PROMPTED YOU TO WRITE. THE JONESTOWN EVENTS WERE BIZARRE AND UNPRECEDENTED. AS THE CRIMMINS/ CARPENTER REPORT MADE CLEAR, AND AS OTHER STUDIES HAVE CONFIRMED, MANY ASPECTS OF THE EMBASSY’S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PEOPLE’S TEMPLE WERE HANDLED IN EXEMPLARY FASHION, AND THE HIGH DEGREE OF PROFESSIONALISM WITH WHICH THE EVENTS FOLLOWING THE NOVEMBER 18 TRAGEDY WAS CONDUCTED HAS BEEN
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WIDELY ACKNOWLEDGED AND IS GENERALLY APPRECIATED.
CHRISTOPHER [Deputy Secretary of State Warren Christopher]
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