[Editor’s note: The text for this document was released in 2014 by the now-defunct Wikileaks website at https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/1978STATE032341_d.html. This URL may be available through the Wayback Machine.]
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ORIGIN SCS-06
INFO OCT-01 ARA-10 ISO-00 SS-15 A-01 OC-06 CCO-00 /039 R
DRAFTED BY CA/SCS/EAPOWERS/MRER
APPROVED BY CA/SCS/SADOBRENCHUK
CA/SCS/RLRIVERA
——————075311 072318Z /64
P 072151Z FEB 78
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN PRIORITY
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E.O. 11652: N/A
TAGS: CASC
SUBJECT: W/W STOEN CUSTODY CASE
REF: GEORGETOWN 372
1. FOLLOWING IS RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS RAISED IN REFTEL.
2. ON FRIDAY MORNING, MR. TIMOTHY STOEN CALLED SCS AND ASKED FOR 3:30 APPOINTMENT TO DISCUSS CUSTODY CASE OF HIS SON, JOHN VICTOR STOEN. AFTER AGREEING TO THE MEETING SCS OFFICER TELEPHONED ARA/CAR TO INVITE DESK OFFICER TO MEETING. AT THAT TIME DESK OFFICER INFORMED SCS THAT HE WAS TRAVELING TO GUYANA NEXT DAY TO VISIT JONESTOWN WITH THE DCM AT THE REQUEST OF THE AMBASSADOR. THE DESK OFFICER ATTENDED THE EARLY PART OF THE STOEN MEETING BUT HAD TO LEAVE AT 4:00 AND WAS NOT PRESENT WHEN STOEN MADE HIS REQUEST.
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3. SCS CONSIDERED REQUEST REASONABLE AND ONE WHICH WE SHOULD FORWARD TO THE EMBASSY PROMPTLY. SCS PREVIOUSLY INFORMED THAT ONLY NIACT CABLES GET DELIVERED OVER THE WEEKEND AND AS IT WAS FRIDAY AFTERNOON CABLE WAS SENT NIACT TO AVOID IT BEING HELD UNTIL MONDAY. DEPARTMENT WANTED CABLE SEEN OVER WEEKEND SO PROPOSITION COULD BE DISCUSSED WITH TUMINIA [Frank Tumminina] AND DCM BEFORE THEY DEPARTED FOR JONESTOWN.
4. EMBASSY MEMCON WITH ACCOUNT OF STOEN REQUEST DIRECTLY TO EMBASSY WAS NOT RECEIVED IN DEPARTMENT UNTIL JANUARY 31. AT TIME STOEN MADE REQUEST TO DEPARTMENT SCS HAD NO WAY OF KNOWING HE HAD ALREADY MADE SAME REQUEST DIRECTLY TO EMBASSY. REASON FOR CLASSIFICATION. AFTER TALKING WITH STOEN DEPARTMENT CONCLUDED IT EASILY POSSIBLE FOR JONES TO HAVE AT LEAST ONE EMPLOYEE IN EMBASSY FEEDING JONES INFORMATION. IN ADDITION DEPARTMENT AWARE THAT IN MANY EMBASSIES AT LEAST SOME LOCAL EMPLOYEES IN CONSULAR SECTIONS HAVE ACCESS TO LOU MATERIAL. HENCE DECISION TO CLASSIFY CABLE CONFIDENTIAL.
6. DEPARTMENT REGRETS LATE HOUR OF DELIVERY OF CABLE IN GUYANA. CABLE LEFT SCS BEFORE 5:30 P.M. WASHINGTON TIME AND WITH NIACT PRIORITY WE FELT IT WOULD BE DELIVERED IN GUYANA BEFORE 8:00 PM THAT SAME EVENING. IN FUTURE ANY SUCH FRIDAY AFTERNOON CABLES WILL BE DELIVERED TO OC/T WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO HOLD TRANSMISSION UNTIL SATURDAY MORNING IF THAT WILL BE OF ASSISTANCE TO POST.
VANCE [Secretary of State Cyrus Vance]
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