[Editor’s note: This document was released both as a State Department cable as part of its 1981 FOIA release, and as Serial 400 of the FBI’s RYMUR release.
[The text for this document was released in 2014 by the now-defunct Wikileaks website at https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/1978STATE299132_d.html. This URL may be available through the Wayback Machine.]
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 01
STATE 299132
ORIGIN ARA-15
INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 SSO-00 SCS-06 CA-01 L-03 JUSE-00 PA-01 ICAE-00 /027 R
DRAFTED BY ARA:SMYLES:MJB
APPROVED BY ARA:JBUSHNELL
S/S-O:RCASTRODALE
——————086651 260436Z /12
O R 260354Z NOV 78 ZFF4
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN NIACT IMMEDIATE
INFO CINCMAC SCOTT AFB ILL
USREDCOM/RCJ2 MACDILL AFB FLA
USCINCARRED FT MCPHERSON GA
CG 18TH AIRBORNE CORPS FT BRAGG NC
CINCSOUTHCOM QUARRY HTS CANAL ZONE
FBI
HEW
SECDEF WASHDC 2126
JCS WASHDC 1725
C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 299132
E.O. 11652: GDS
TAGS: CASC, OREP (RYAN, LEO), GY
SUBJECT: ARRANGEMENTS FOR RETURN OF SURVIVORS
REF: STATE 299116 AND DIKEOS/BUSHNELL TELECON
1. Since telecon and reftel we have discussed preparations being made at Charleston to receive survivors with HEW representative Al Battiste. He reports that he has made the following arrangements for security, transportation and lodging of the Jonestown survivors at Charleston if the decision is made to bring them to Charleston.
2. Planes transporting the survivors would land in a restricted area of Charleston AFB. Access to the terminal from the landing area, and the customs and immigration areas, would be restricted. Survivors would move in a group from the terminal to two buses for transport off the base.
3. The survivors would be housed in a motel located one mile from Charleston AFB. They would be transported directly to the motel in the buses accompanied by military escorts and/or FBI agents and local police. Upon arrival at the motel, the survivors would go immediately to a private room set up for registration. After registration, the survivors would be escorted directly to their rooms.
4. The motel to be used to house the survivors does not have eating facilities and present plans are to escort the survivors as a group about 300 yards to another motel for meals. The possibility that meals could be catered in survivors’ rooms is being explored.
5. HEW will assign one case worker for each family group during their stay in Charleston. The case worker will take care of all needs of the family, including accompanying them to Charleston airport for boarding to final destination.
6. We are exploring the possibility of setting up a press briefing area in Charleston which would allow access by the press to those survivors who were willing to be interviewed. We are reviewing the HEW preparation to insure that the privacy would be protected of those survivors who do not wish to be interviewed. These arrangements appear strong from general security viewpoint. However, given eagerness of the press on this matter, there would probably be considerable TV and photo coverage.
7. Embassy comments on these proposed arrangements in light of reftel appreciated.
Christopher [Deputy Secretary of State Warren Christopher]
CONFIDENTIAL