[Editor’s note: This document was released both as a State Department cable as part of its 1981 FOIA release, and as Serial 418 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/1978STATE299154_d.html. This URL may be available through the Wayback Machine.]
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PAGE 01
STATE 299154
ORIGIN L-03
INFO OCT-01 ARA-11 ISO-00 JUSE-00 SS-15 DODE-00 FBIE-00 CA-01 TRSE-00 NSCE-00 AID-05 SSO-00 SCS-06 CIAE-00 INR-10 NSAE-00 INRE-00 H-01 /053 R
DRAFTED BY L/ARA:MKOZAK:SJP
APPROVED BY ARA:JBUSHNELL
JUSTICE:RKEUCH
S/S-O:TREYNDERS
——————090403 262040Z /14
O 262021Z NOV 78 ZFF4
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN NIACT IMMEDIATE
C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 299154
E.O. 11652: GDS
TAGS: GY, CASC, OREP (RYAN, LEO)
SUBJECT: HELICOPTER SUPPORT
REFS: GEORGETOWN 3940; KOZAK/WARD TELECON 11/26/78
1. In considering request for helicopter support, we have been reviewing possible authority for funding.
2. One potential source thus far identified would be FBI reimbursement to DOD under Economy Act of 1932. This statute would authorize expenditure of funds for legitimate U.S. law enforcement purposes. Justice has interpreted as requiring that U.S. law enforcement personnel (i.e. FBI) be primary recipients of support and therefore they would have to be present on all helicopter missions. They presumably could also transport GOG [Government of Guyana] personnel cooperating with them in their law enforce-
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PAGE 02 STATE 299154
ment function.
3. At this point, we cannot definitively exclude other possible sources of funding, nor can we guarantee that FBI option will prove feasible. At the moment, however, it appears to have the greatest potential for success.
4. Per ref telecon, we believe that it would be useful in your contacts with GOG to note that authorization for U.S. investigative experts to enter Guyana could facilitate our efforts to provide favorable response to GOG request for helicopter support in light of funding situation described above.
Christopher [Deputy Secretary of State Warren Christopher]
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