Q426 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 “Sat July 22”

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

People named:

 
Bible verses cited: None

Summary:

(This tape was transcribed by Heather Shannon. The editors gratefully acknowledge her invaluable assistance.)

Jim Jones reads the news for July 22, 1978.

This newstape is typical for this period in Jonestown’s history: Jones has collected the news from several international sources, although the only one he names here is the Voice of America. He reads the news in a fairly straightforward manner, with periodic interjections of editorial comments: The United States is consistently described as monopolist capitalist and imperialist, and its allies are fascist lackeys. He also pauses along the way to offer a brief aside on the inevitable death of capitalism.

There are only a few references to his lifelong bugaboo, the threat of nuclear war, nor does he insist upon the certainty of its arrival.

As in other tapes, he takes stories from the news and applies them to life in Jonestown. The item about an Italian boxer who has been declared brain dead after a bout leads Jones to warns his followers about the necessity of safety precautions and the dangers of accidents.

Among the items he reads:

• A reporter’s notes on the Wounded Knee occupation have been turned over to the FBI;
• Native Americans conclude a cross-country walk from Alcatraz to Washington, D.C.;
• A renter’s strike in California follows passage of proposition 13;
• U.S. attaches stipulations on sale of nuclear material to India;
• Congress is urged to increase sanctions against Rhodesia;
• The UN calls for a world disarmament conference;
• China cuts aid to Vietnam;
• Vietnam denies that it has victimized ethnic Chinese;
• Cuba denies the presence of its troops in Zaire;
• An anti-fascist organization in Spain assassinates two military leaders;
• The president of Bolivia resigns to avoid civil war;
• The Israeli Prime Minister is considered to be in bad health;
• The oil nations of the Middle East may migrate away from using the dollar as its currency;
• The incoming Thatcher government in Britain will expatriate its minority population.

The second half of the tape consists of his reading about Great Britain, part of a summer-long series of readings on the history, cultures, religions, and societal practices of the world’s nations.

FBI Summary:

Date of transcription: 6/18/79

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 June 6, 1979, Special Agent (name deleted) reviewed the tape numbered 1B100-29. This tape was found to contain the following:

Reverend JIM JONES giving background on use of newsman by FBI. JONES continued with other international news.

Differences with FBI Summary:

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

Tape originally posted February 2021.