[Editor’s note: The text for this document was released in 2014 by the now-defunct Wikileaks website at https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/1978GEORGE03844_d.html. This URL may be available through the Wayback Machine.]
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GEORGE 03844 212121Z
ACTION ARA-15
INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 SCS-06 CA-01 SSO-00 NSCE-00 ICAE-00 INRE-00 SS-15 PM-05 L-03 H-01 SY-05 SYE-00 OPR-02 CIAE-00 DODE-00 INR-10 NSAE-00 PA-01 SP-02 /067 W
——————128538 212130Z /61
O 212030Z NOV 78
FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC NIACT IMMEDIATE 8124
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE GEORGETOWN 3844
E.O. 11652: N/A
TAGS: CASC, OREP (RYAN, LEO), GY
SUBJECT: PEOPLES TEMPLE SURVIVORS SAY NO UNDERGROUND BUNKERS IN JONESTOWN.
REF: GEORGETOWN 3832
SUBSEQUENT TO DISPATCH OF REFTEL EMB CONOFF SPOKE WITH SURVIVORS OF PEOPLES TEMPLE CALAMITY WHO STATED THAT THERE WERE NO UNDERGROUND BUNKERS THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF IN JONESTOWN. THE PT GROUP HAD CONSTRUCTED A BANANA CELLAR WHICH WAS PARTLY UNDERGROUND, ACCORDING TO SURVIVORS. THE STRUCTURE WAS POORLY MADE AND PART OF IT COLLAPSED SHORTLY AFTER IT WAS COMPLETED. THE BANANA CELLAR WAS CLEARLY VISIBLE ACCORDING TO THE SURVIVORS. THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT THINK OF ANY AREAS WHICH MIGHT HIDE SECRET UNDERGROUND BUNKERS.
BURKE [U.S. Ambassador John Burke]
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