[Editor’s note: The text for this document was released in 2014 by the now-defunct Wikileaks website at >https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/1978GEORGE00462_d.html. This URL may be available through the Wayback Machine.]
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PAGE 01 GEORGE 00462 061934Z
ACTION SCS-06
INFO OCT-01 ARA-10 ISO-00 CA-01 L-03 H-01 HA-05 /027 W
——————064333 062015Z /43
P 061830Z FEB 78
FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6180
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE GEORGETOWN 0462
E.O. 11652: N/A
TAGS: CASC (STOEN, JOHN VICTOR)
SUBJECT: W/W JOHN STOEN
REF: STATE 029903
1. EMBASSY AT THIS TIME CANNOT SAY WITH ABSOLUTE ASSURANCE THAT JOHN SOTEN IS IN GUYANA BUT WE BELIEVE HE IS. CONSUL SAW HIM IN JONESTOWN ON AUG. 30, 1977 AND THOUGHT HE SAW JOHN AGAIN ON JAN 11, 1978. WHEN DCM AND DESK OFFICER TUMMINIA VISITED JONESTOWN FEB 2 JOHN’S PRESENCE CAME UP AT ONE POINT DURING GENERAL CONVERSATION AND PEOPLE’S TEMPLE REPRESENTATIVES SUGGESTED THAT THEY MEET JOHN. HOWEVER, CONVERSATION WENT ON TO OTHER SUBJECTS AND MEETING NEVER ACTUALLY TOOK PLACE. NEVERTHELESS INFERENCE WAS DRAWN THAT JOHN STOEN WAS IN JONESTOWN AT THAT TIME.
2. BASED ON THE ABOVE AND OTHER STRONG EMOTIONAL OVERTONES THAT CASE HAS DEVELOPED ON BOTH SIDES, IT IS HIGHLY UNLIKELY THAT PEOPLE’S TEMPLE MEMBERS WHO ARE CONTESTING CUSTODY WOULD NOT KEEP JOHN NEAR THEM.
BURKE [U.S. Ambassador John Burke]
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