[Editor’s note: This document was released both as a State Department cable as part of its 1981 FOIA release, and as Serial 34 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/1978GEORGE03812_d.html. This URL may be available through the Wayback Machine.]
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ACTION ARA-15
INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 FBIE-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 PA-01 TRSE-00 SCS-06 MCT-02 CA-01 INR-10 INRE-00 SY-05 SYE-00 USSS-00 H-01 AID-05 SS-15 SSO-00 NSCE-00 CCO-00 OC-06 JUSE-00 NSAE-00 ICAE-00 AS-02 L-03 HA-05 MED-05 OPR-02 PER-01 PPT-01 DOTE-00 FAA-00 EB-08 /095 W
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O 201755Z NOV 78
FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN
TO CINCSOUTH IMMEDIATE
SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8095
DOD WASHINGTON (PASS NMCC) IMMEDIATE
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E.O. 11652: N/A
TAGS: CASC: OREP (RYAN)
SUBJECT: ASSISTANCE
1. PORT KAITUMA AIRFIELD HAS THE CAPABILITY TO HANDLED ONLY SMALL AIRCRAFT OF THE TWIN OTTER TYPE. THE AIR STRIP IS APPROXIMATELY 900 FT. IN LENGTH AND HAS A LOOSE, SOFT SURFACE.
2. MAJ GODWIN MCPHERSON, COMMANDER, GDF, AIR WING, SOURCE OF THIS INFORMATION RECOMMENDS MATTHEW’S RIDGE AIRFIELD AS ENTRY POINT FOR LARGE EVACUATION TYPE AIRCRAFT. THIS FIELD IS 4,500 FEET IN LENGTH, HAS A HARD PACKED SURFACE AND CAN HANDLE C-130 AIRCRAFT. MAJ MCPHERSON NOTES, HOWEVER, THAT THERE ARE NO LANDING LIGHTS AT EITHER AIRFIELD AND DAYLIGHT LANDINGS WILL BE NECESSARY, UNLESS WE ARE PREPARED TO BRING IN PORTABLE LIGHTS FOR NIGHT LANDINGS. HE WOULD WELCOME THE LATTER AND IS PREPARED TO ASSIGN A SENIOR PILOT TO ASSIST U.S. PILOTS.
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3. WE ARE SENDING A QUALIFIED EMBASSY OFFICER TO EXAMINE BOTH FIELDS AND WILL UPDATE THIS MESSAGE WHEN INFO BECOMES AVAILABLE.
BURKE [John Burke, U.S. Ambassador to Guyana]
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