[Editor’s note: The paragraph in this lengthy cable related to Peoples Temple is numbered 4.
[The text for this document was released in 2014 by the now-defunct Wikileaks website at https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/1979STATE088361_e.html. This URL may be available through the Wayback Machine.]
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STATE 088361
ORIGIN ARA-15
INFO OCT-01 ADS-00 ONY-00 /016 R
DRAFTED BY ARA/P:KLMARSHALL:MMS
APPROVED BY ARA:JABUSHNELL ARA/PPC:TDUNN (DRAFT)
ARA/PPC:POAKLEY (DRAFT)
ARA/PAN:GBROWN (DRAFT)
ARA/P:WJDIETERICH
DESIRED DISTRIBUTION ARA, INCA ONLY
——————123484 090259Z /15
R 082121Z APR 79
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO ALL AMERICAN REPUBLIC DIPLOMATIC POSTS
AMCONSUL BELIZE
AMCONSUL CURACAO
C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 088361
INFORM CONSULS
E.O. 12065:XGDS-3 3/30/89 (BUSHNELL, JOHN A.)
TAGS: PGOV, EGEN, PINS, PINT
SUBJECT: ARA HIGHLIGHTS MARCH 26-APRIL 2 (NO. 12)
1. (U) PUBLIC AFFAIRS: AMBASSADOR TO MEXICO PATRICK LUCEY AND THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF POLICY PLANNING, PUBLIC AND CONGRESSIONAL AFFAIRS, LUIGI EINAUDI, SPOKE ON US-MEXICAN RELATIONS AT A MEXICO-US EDITORS CONFERENCE, MARCH 25-27. THE CONFERENCE, SPONSORED BY THE INTERNATIONAL PRESS INSTITUTE, WAS HOSTED BY THE JOHNSON FOUNDATION, IN RACINE, WISCONSIN, AND WAS ATTENDED BY REPRESENTATIVES OF MOST MAJOR NEWSPAPERS
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IN BOTH COUNTRIES. AMBASSADOR LUCEY MADE A STRONG AND WELL-RECEIVED PRESENTATION ON PRESIDENT CARTER’S VISIT. INR’S OFFICE OF EXTERNAL RESEARCH HOSTED A ONE-DAY CONFERENCE ON “THE POLITICS OF MODERN ECONOMIC RELATIONS BETWEEN THE US AND LATIN AMERICA” ON MARCH 30 IN THE DEPARTMENT. THE PAPERS PRESENTED AT THE CONFERENCE WERE PREPARED AS PART OF A LARGER STUDY BEING CONDUCTED AT HARVARD’S CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF DR. JORGE DOMINGUEZ AND FUNDED BY THE DEPARTMENT. TOPICS DISCUSSED INCLUDED THE US POLICY MAKING PROCESS, TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY, MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS AND BILATERAL ECONOMIC ISSUES.
2. (C) WEEKLY ISSUES PREPARED BY H: SECURITY ASSISTANCE: THE HOUSE MARCH 29 PASSED BY A VOICE VOTE THE ADMINISTRATION’S SECURITY ASSISTANCE AUTHORIZING LEGISLATION, AS AMENDED BY THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, WITH ONLY ONE CHANGE — THE DELETION OF FMS FOR PANAMA. THE REMAINING $2.5 MILLION IN PANAMA FMS IN THE BILL WAS ELIMINATED BY A 272-117 VOTE ON AN AMENDMENT BY CONGRESSMAN ROBERT BAUMAN OF MARYLAND. THE BILL AUTHORIZES SECURITY ASSISTANCE FOR TWO YEARS. THE PANAMA VOTE, WHICH CAME EARLY IN THE BILL, WAS ANALYZED BY MOST MEMBERS AND STAFF WE CONTACTED AS A CHEAP VOTE AGAINST ADDITIONAL AID TO PANAMA. WE EXPECT TO RESTORE THE FULL $5 MILLION IN THE SENATE, BUT CONFERENCE WILL BE DIFFICULT AT LEAST UNTIL THE HOUSE HAS FACED UP TO THE PANAMA TREATY ENABLING LEGISLATION.
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THE SENATE WILL NOT MARK UP THE SECURITY ASSISTANCE BILL UNTIL AFTER THE EASTER RECESS. PANAMA CANAL: THE PANAMA CANAL SUBCOMMITTEE COMPLETED MARKING UP THE TREATY IMPLEMENTING LEGISLATION; THE RESULT IS LARGELY UNSATISFACTORY TO US. THE BILL NOW CONTAINS A NUMBER OF POINTS VIOLATING THE TREATY, AND SOME WHICH WILL MAKE IT FAR MORE DIFFICULT TO RUN THE CANAL UNDER THE TREATY. FOR EXAMPLE, THE BILL WOULD REQUIRE THAT NO PAYMENTS COULD BE MADE TO PANAMA AS LONG AS THE CANAL COMMISSION DEAMS THAT THERE IS A PLAUSIBLE EXPROPRIATION CLAIM BY US INTERESTS AGAINST PANAMA. TO GAIN SUPPORT FROM THE REPUBLICAN RIGHT, CHAIRMAN MURPHY SEEMS TO BE YIELDING ON WHAT WE CONSIDER ESSENTIAL POINTS. IF THE FINAL LEGISLATION SHOULD LOOK ANYTHING LIKE THE SUBCOMMITTEE BILL, IT WOULD SERIOUSLY ANTAGONIZE PANAMA AND MAKE IMPLEMENTATION VERY DIFFICULT. THIS, PLUS THE OVERWHELMING VOTE AGAINST PANAMA FMS, MAKES IT CLEAR THAT THE IMPLEMENTING LEGISLATION IS IN TROUBLE.
3. (C) WEEKLY ISSUE PREPARED BY OES: HEAVY WATER TECHNOLOGY FOR ARGENTINA: ARGENTINA HAS APPROACHED THE US, AMONG OTHERS, IN ITS EFFORTS TO ACQUIRE HEAVY WATER PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY. WE HAVE REPLIED THAT WE WOULD CONSIDER SUPPLYING SUCH TECHNOLOGY IF ARGENTINA (1) RATIFIED THE TREATY OF TLATELOLCO, (2) NEGOTIATED A FULL-SCOPE SAFEGUARDS AGREEMENT WITH THE IAEA, AND (3) DEFERRED ITS NUCLEAR REPROCESSING PLANS INDEFINITELY. UNWILLING TO ACCEPT THIS LAST CONDITION, THE ARGENTINES ARE SEEKING, INSTEAD, TO ACQUIRE THIS TECHNOLOGY BY LINKING ITS PROVISION TO THEIR PURCHASE OF THE HEAVY WATER REACTOR FOR ARGENTINA’S ATUCHA II NUCLEAR POWER PLANT. THE FRG AND CANADA ARE THE MOST LIKELY BIDDERS FOR THE PROJECT.
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WE HAVE REQUESTED THE POSSIBLE SUPPLIERS OF THE HEAVY WATER REACTOR TO DEFER ANY SUCH LINKAGE, NOTING THAT ARGENTINA’S ACQUISITION OF HEAVY WATER TECHNOLOGY WILL EFFECTIVELY CLOSE ITS FUEL CYCLE AND MAKE IT INDEPENDENT OF ANY SUPPLIER’S CONTROLS. AS A FURTHER CONCERN, WE ARE STILL NOT CERTAIN WHETHER THE FRG WOULD REQUIRE NPT-TYPE FULL-SCOPE SAFEGUARDS AS A CONDITION OF SUPPLY FOR THE REACTOR ALONE. THE CANADIANS HAVE STATED THEY WOULD REQUIRE SUCH SAFEGUARDS, BUT NEITHER COUNTRY HAS AGREED TO DEMAND INDEFINITE DEFERRAL OF REPROCESSING AS A CONDITION FOR TRANSFERRING HEAVY WATER TECHNOLOGY. IN AN EFFORT TO PLACE THE MOST LIKELY SUPPLIERS ON AN EQUAL FOOTING AND REMOVE NON-PROLIFERATION CONDITIONS FROM COMMERCIAL CONSIDERATIONS, WE HAVE OFFERED TO SUPPLY HEAVY WATER TO ARGENTINA FOR THE ATUCHA II REACTOR IN CONNECTION WITH THE FRG BID IF ARGENTINA ACCEPTS NPT-TYPE FULL SCOPE SAFEGUARDS AS A CONDITION OF SUPPLY. THE GERMANS HAVE INDICATED APPRECIATION FOR OUR OFFER BUT HAVE NOT FORMALLY ACCEPTED ITS CONDITION. THE DEADLINE FOR BIDDING ON ATUCHA II, ALREADY EXTENDED ONCE,-IS APRIL 2. WE SHOULD KNOW SHORTLY WHAT THE FRG AND CANADA HAVE OFFERED ARGENTINA. IF EITHER OFFER INCLUDES HEAVY WATER TECHNOLOGY OR LACKS ADEQUATE SAFEGUARDS, WE WILL THEN HAVE TO ASSESS WHAT FURTHER US STEPS MAY BE IN ORDER.
4. (U) WEEKLY ISSUE PREPARED BY CA: DISPOSITION OF REMAINS OF JONESTOWN GUYANA VICTIMS: ON THURSDAY, MARCH 29, CALIFORNIA SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE IRA A. BROWN
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ORDERED THAT ALL BODIES OF JONESTOWN VICTIMS AT DOVER AIR BASE BE TRANSPORTED TO CALIFORNIA FOR BURIAL AT THE EXPENSE OF THE PEOPLE’S TEMPLE. THERE ARE 554 BODIES AT THE AIR BASE, 250 OF WHICH ARE UNIDENTIFIED AND 304 BODIES ARE IDENTIFIED BUT UNCLAIMED. THE JUDGE ORDERED THAT ALL BODIES BE TRANSPORTED BY TRUCK BUT NOT IN CARAVAN STYLE. NO DATE HAS BEEN SET AS TO WHEN TRANSPORTATION WILL BEGIN. UNIDENTIFIED BODIES WILL BE BURIED IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA. IDENTIFIED BODIES WILL BE HELD IN CALIFORNIA FOR 30 DAYS. DURING THIS 30 DAY PERIOD, NEXT OF KIN CAN CLAIM THE BODY AND WILL BE GIVEN UP TO $540 TOWARD THE DISPOSITION OF THEIR CHOICE. ANY BODIES REMAINING UNCLAIMED AT THE END OF THE 30 DAY PERIOD WILL BE BURIED. THE PEOPLE’S TEMPLE RECEIVER, MR ROBERT H. FABIAN, AND THE EMERGENCY RELIEF COMMITTEE, COMPOSED OF INTERFAITH CLERGY IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA, WILL COORDINATE AND IMPLEMENT THE JUDGE’S ORDER. JUDGE BROWN DECLARED THAT HIS ORDER WAS WITHOUT PRECEDENT BUT HE STATED THAT “UNPRECEDENTED SITUATIONS SOMETIMES CALL FOR UNPRECEDENTED ORDERS”.
CHRISTOPHER [Deputy Secretary of State Warren Christopher]
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