Q321 Transcript

This tape was transcribed by Adrian Whicker. The editors gratefully acknowledge his invaluable assistance.

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Jones: (starts mid-sentence)–ber 27, [19]78. Andrei Gromyko, Foreign Minister of the Soviet Union, is on an official visit to France. Yes– yesterday he had what he described as a very– (Aside) Can it wait just a minute? Stand by. (Whispers) Get my glasses.

I’ll begin again. News for this Friday, October 27. Mr. Andrei Gromyko, the Soviet Foreign Minister is an official– on visit– official visit, diplomatic status to France. Yesterday he had what he described as very constructive talks. It is rumored that the Soviet Union is moving closer to France, as France distrusts the United States programs. With– he said the– the talks dis– covered all main subjects, and they had uh, what he called agreement on detente, disarmament, and implementation of the Helsinki, Helsinki Permanent Agreement, and of course USA has been violating the Helsinki Agreement of late. And so that’s good. Disarmament. US is a huge (unintelligible word) source of disarmament, that France has come out, even though it’s been– had a history of colonialism, and it takes a posture against two things that USA is not for. USA is not for disarmament. I doubt if they’re for peace, by the way they act. And they certainly are not for the Helsinki Agreement, they’ve violated it too many times. But the significant thing of the talk and this disarmament in full accord is worthy of consideration, France and USA.

Mr. Andre Bossard, the Controller General of the secret police forces, has just been nominated by [as] the Secretary General of INTERPOL, international organization which coordinates the actions of most of the world’s police forces. The previous head of INTERPOL was also a Frenchman, I might mention, of a Nazi sympathies, just as Bossard was during World [War] Two, and just as the INTERPOL was a creation of Adolf Hitler. It was they who sent the (unintelligible word) lies down here to uh, Guyana. The previous head of INTERPOL, as I said, was Jean Nepotas [Népote].

There has been further indication that Britain will send arms to Zambia, contrary to America’s wishes. At a meeting of diplomatic representatives in London yesterday, Foreign David Owens [British Foreign Secretary David Owen] said equipment (unintelligible word) would be sent to Lusaka, Zambia for Zambian defense needs. He added that there was no question of (stumbles over words) starting or situating British troops or aircraft in Zambia, although rumors have it also in Europe that the British are entering the battle directly. Now this is direct opposition, for you that are studying the news, this is a direct opposition and slap in the face towards the USA, because US has put the funds in there– put the funds in to uh, Rhodesia, the white Rhodesian system that’s tearing up Zambia, and the South African regime that’s tried to bomb and have bombed (Unintelligible name), and we haven’t paid any taxes in to the tens of thousands this past week.

Joshua Nkomo, Front– Patriotic Front leader of Zimbabwe, visits Hungary, while it is announced in Lusaka today, the Front Line states are considering holding summit talks in Dar Es– Es Salaam this– this weekend. The purpose of the meeting is no secret. Announcing that 30 some mem– 38 members of the security force have been killed during the last few Rhodesian strikes alone against the Patriotic guerilla Front camps, but more so, hundreds and thousands of innocent citizens of the Za– Zambian freedom fighters are the– rather, the Zimbabwean freedom fighters, freedom fighters has been killed (pause) and tortured. So USA strongly supporting Rhodesia, and Britain for some strange reason is pulling away, by offering direct military aid to the Zimbabweans. That ought to make all of our hearts glad. Maybe the capitalist world’s beginning to crack.

President Zambia– uh, Zambia’s President [Kenneth] Kaunda said, I want you all to brace for a very long war. It is expected that the summit meeting will also be established, (stumbles) will be established a unified force towards the African settlement, terms of a common effort to defend the frontline states against future attacks.

News from Rhodesia: A white rancher sentenced 18 months jail for beating a black employee to death, has been told by a judge that he will not have to go to prison because following the incident he was att– by– attacked by a other– another black in reprisal and slightly wounded. The white rancher– rancher, aged 23, killed his foreman, a young man, after ranch– Uh, wait a minute here. A ranch– white ranch– Rancher. Uh, stand by, some mix-up in the news. (off mic, unintelligible) (Tape edit)

–killed one of his workers, a young man, after ranch employees complained that they had not been paid for three months.

The Methodist Church of South Africa have condemned the World Council of Churches for granting funds to Rhodesia and Namibian guerilla organizations. I’m so glad that the Sou– (stumbles over words) the Methodist Church uh, has uh, at least spoken out, so we know where they are. The Methodist churches, all of them, of South Africa. So much for Methodism. You ought to write this back that knows Methodism other, ‘cause all Methodists and the Methodist Church is one of the largest in the United States. After a debate, it– at its annual co– conference in East London, the white Methodists decided to maintain their membership in the World Council but expressed dismay at the council’s program to combat racism had made the grants and– had made grants to Patriotic Front and SWAPO. That’s the– SWAPO is the liberation, rightful government of Namibia.

Israeli Prime Minister [Menachem] Begin – dictator, I should call him – told his Parliament yesterday that the Israeli government has decided to reinforce the number of Jews in East Jordan. He said that the Foreign Minister Moshe Day– Dayan would inform the United States of the decision. Most people believe that it’s just a ploy for time.

The Arab League [United Nations Security Council] today decided to extend the mandate of the Arab Deterrent Force [United Nations Emergency Force] in Lebanon to another six months. Egypt abstained in the votes, ‘cause she’s the lackey of USA now. Syria provided the bulk of 30,000 men, but the combined fighting forces of the Arabs, if they’re not careful, can be close to a million, and that would– they could turn over Israel, and run her into the sea. Anyway, Egypt abstained in the vote. Syria provided them the bulk of– provided 30,000 men, deterrent force, that forced to fight this uh, c– civil war started by Zionism and fascist Christian leaders, Phalangists as they are called.

Lebanese security forces announced that about 100 people have been arrested in the last 48 hours in West Beirut for illegal possessions of arms.

Market today–

Mike Prokes: (whispers) Let’s start again, the tape just– (tape edit)

Jones: As I said, the dollar crisis has gathered momentum on the foreign exchange– foreign exchange market, while the US currency fell to a postwar low. The worst it has– it’s getting closer to its low of the Great Depression, when everybody was out of work, I mean school teachers, didn’t make every– any difference, you were in a soup line, you had to eat in a soup– soup line if you wanted to get anything. The dollar has plunged nearly 30 percent this year against the yen. That’s how stable the Japanese economy is, and how unstable the US economy is.

Portugal’s new Prime Minister called on the cooperation of the whole nation to match his personal sacrifices. In accepting the post, Carlos Monte [Mota] Pinto, forty years old– 42 years old, a law professor, has undertaken the task of forming Portugal’s tenth government since the overthrow of the fascist dictatorship in 1974 by the army. He is asking for the cooperation of all Portuguese, especially the squabbling political parties. Former Pri– former Prime Minister Mario– Mario Soares says his party will not participate in Dr. Monte Pito’s government, although socialist, will be permitted to– (pause) except posts on a personal basis. Dr. Soares says that outgoing independent Prime Minister de– [Alfredo Nobre] da Costa has upset economic and political stability uh, between the six month socialist government that fell this– this July. Stand by. (Aside, off mic) What in the– (Tape edit)

– will stop a (unintelligible) uh– bill and ask for an official investigation into allegations, charges that a former deputy prime minister and Minister of Electricity in the outgoing government received bribes of several hundred thousand dollars from the American Westinghouse Corporation. A government statement said the Americans had told Egypt that Westinghouse was being prosecuted for offering– for offering bribes to secure contact– contracts with the deputy uh, uh, that was in charge– (pause) the Deputy Minister of Electricity, so they could get some kind of security with him to get uh, provisions, equipment, and electrical power, so they’d get all the jobs.

The ten-day postal strike in Canada has ended, after the Postal Workers Union backed down in the face of government threat. Dismissed workers, if they continued their industrial action. Shortly before the government’s deadline, arrest warrants were issued against all of the officers of the postal union. This shows you that the right to strike that they bragged so much about true trade unionism, has its own right to its destiny, to its own purposes, to make decisions to strike. The only thing that the labor union has is to strike when it comes to revenue, finally their issues, but that was denied in Canada do– too, just like Washington did it, by setting martial law when the (stumbles) the postal workers there and the US miners that they kept down there for 150 days, it’s 150 without food– proper food, without any shelter. They would not– they– they would not give up the mines, would not let anybody in the mines, and they took shifts of laying in the mines.

There’s been a series of seven bomb attacks in the Italian capital of Rome. The attacks are all in the southern part of the city, and at a variety of tar– targets: a car showroom, two power transformers, and a bookshop (pause) among them. There were– There was considerable damage but no reports of injuries. Responsibility has been claimed by an organization calling itself the Anti-Fascist Collective, a new group that we have not heard of before.

Typhoon Ri– Typhoon Rita has hit Manila, this capital of Philippine islands. The correspondent from BBC says that the very strong winds ripped down overhead power cables, plunging the whole of Manila into darkness. The typhoon blew down a 200 foot transmitter, the tower of the Manila Broadcasting Company causing damages and injuries. A number of people have been evacuated from low-lying areas, and some ambul– ambulances are still being called in to remove the injured and ex– the (stumbles) stranded.

Syria and Iraq, united in their opposition to the Camp David Peace Accord, have served an– signed an alliance which would virtually mean a (unintelligible word) a merger between them. The alliance is designed to produce total military unity.

There’s been more violence in Iran during a holiday to mark the Shah’s birthday. In a s– in a southern town, a local police chief has been shot dead, and another senior official was– was wounded. The same kind of violence is occurring over in the United States, but unfortunately it’s not the uh– it’s not happening to the police, but to our brothers and sisters. The Iranian nation marked the Shah’s 59th birthday in untypical fashion. There were neither pictures of the royal (pause) man on the front page of– of the local press, nor long articles inside extolling the virtues of the Shah, what was in– in the past considered much, as important holiday is perhaps one of the biggest indications in recent– in uh, recent months of the– of the challenge now fa– facing the Shah. Efforts to placate his opponents seems to have failed. Today’s challenge differs radically from that of 1963 or 1953, when he [Mohammad Mosaddegh] was forced out of power, by our tax dollars and the CIA, and his president, the president of Libya was murdered in cold blood. When the Shah was first, as I said, into (stumbles over words) of power considerably (pause) more opposition to the Shah regime cuts vir– virtually across all sectors of Iran– Ir– Iranian, I-R-A-N, Iranian soci– uh, society. Among the most vocal include housewives, blue collar workers, and their merchants. On the 1973 oil boom, many have grown insecure. During the expense– subsequent uh, years, as the Shah sought to appease the following classes at their expense, these are mosques in– into which 90 percent of the country’s 34 million people subscribe. Many Iranians, unable to fight a forum– find a forum for political activity within the Shah’s system, gravitated to their religious leaders, who have traditionally provided sanctuary, there is– that has been a historic practice of all churches against oppression. In (unintelligible word), behind today’s political upheavals is a combination of unfulfilled economic expectations, social tensions, and years of political repression and torture. There are few Iranians who cannot tell of a sister or brother, who– or a mother or dad that’s in jail, who has not been jailed for his or her political beliefs. That means you can’t find a single Iranian who has not been at one time jailed or held for their political beliefs. It’s incredible, that is in that country where they don’t have anybody with them. During the last ten months the protests have been mounting primarily on the streets against the Shah, where more than 1,000 died in clashes with m– clashes against security forces. (sigh) Since the Shah’s imp– imposition of military law (pause) last (pause) month, the opposition has also taken the (pause) form– the– (pause) the form of industrial strike, of action. The most important, or most prominent opposition leader [Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini], who is the head of the (pause) Shia Mosque, is currently in exile in France. The most important leader of all religion in (pause) Iran has been forced into exile in France. He has refused either to negate– negotiate with the Shah or return to the country. He has refused to negotiate with the Shah because he calls him a senat– a sinister di– and diabolical devil.

Thus ends the commentary of the news for the day. Be sure you get your news. Listen to it in preparation for Russian quarterly, we’re going to get– we’re undoubtedly getting very close, as you know Saturday, Peoples Rally and test. We’ll have tes– we’ll have Russian first and news after that. I love you (pause) very much. I take so much pain, I’d have to love you. Just ask some people around me. I love you very, very dearly. Thank you.

Part II

Mike Prokes: Greetings from the Peoples Temple Agricultural Project in Jonestown near Port Kaituma in the Northwest District of Guyana. I’m Mike Prokes and I’m here with Bishop Jim Jones. The music you’ve been hearing is from the Peoples Temple choir, an instrument ensemble. Bishop, we’ve had a lot of– (tape ends).