[Editor’s notes: This document appears as Serial 852 in the FBI RYMUR release and as State Department cable 306440 in the State Department release.
[The text for this document was released in 2014 by the now-defunct Wikileaks website at https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/1978STATE306440_d.html.]
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 01
STATE 306440
ORIGIN ARA-15
INFO OCT-01 EUR-12 ISO-00 SSO-00 NSCE-00 ICAE-00
INRE-00 SS-15 SY-05 SCS-06 CA-01 CIAE-00 DODE-00
INR-10 NSAE-00 PA-02 SP-02 H-02 L-03 EB-08 HA-05
AID-05 /092 R
DRAFTED BY ARA/GWG-RWZIMMERMANN:CEH
APPROVED BY ARA/GWG-RWZIMMERMANN
S/S-O – TRRYNDER
——————012872 042257Z /61
O 042206Z DEC 78
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY PANAMA IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY CARACAS IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY LONDON IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY PARAMARIBO IMMEDIATE
FBI WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0062
JUSTICE IMMEDIATE
CINCSOUTHCOM QUARRY HTS CANAL ZONE IMMEDIATE
CINCMAC SCOTT AFB ILL IMMEDIATE
US REDCOM/RCJ2 MACDILL AFS FLA IMMEDIATE
UNCINCARRED FT MCPHERSON GA IMMEDIATE
CDR 18TH AIRBORNE CORPS FT BRAGG NC IMMEDIATE
USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GE ATTEN J-2 IMMEDIATE
UNCLAS STATE 306440
LONDON FOR MICHAEL FINLEY
E.O. 12065:N/A
TAGS:CASC, OREP (RYAN, LEO), GY
SUBJECT:SITUATION REPORT NO. 29, 12/4/78, 1200 (EST)
1. WE HAVE NOW BEEN INFORMED THAT THE LIST OF 32 SURVIVORS WHO WERE GIVEN PERMISSION TO DEPART ON SUNDAY WAS IN ADDITION TO THE 6 WHO LEFT ON SATURDAY. NINE WOMEN AND ONE CHILD ACTUALLY CAME OUT ON SUNDAY. THREE WOMEN AND ONE MAN ELECTED NOT TO LEAVE. EIGHTEEN MEN WERE REFUSED BY THE CAPTAIN OF THE PANAM PLANE WHO IS REPORTED TO HAVE SAID THAT THE FBI HAD PROMISED TO HAVE U.S. MARSHALLS [MARSHALS] ON THE FLIGHT. NEITHER THE DEPARTMENT NOR JUSTICE IS AWARE OF ANY PRIOR DISCUSSION OR REQUEST REGARDING MARSHALLS ABOARD COMMERCIAL FLIGHTS CARRYING SURVIVORS. JUSTICE HAS HOWEVER NOW MADE ARRANGEMENTS FOR MARSHALLS IN THIS SITUATION. MOST OF THE 18 MEN REFUSED TRANSPORT ON SUNDAY WILL PROBABLY DEPART GEORGETOWN ON WEDNESDAY ALTHOUGH SOME MAY TRICKLE OUT ON FOREIGN AIRLINES. A TOTAL OF 23 SURVIVORS HAVE NOW RETURNED TO THE U.S.
2. THE TOTAL OF IDENTIFIED BODIES HAS NOW REACHED 580.
3. THIS IS THE FINAL SITREP. CONTINUING PROBLEMS WILL BE HANDLED AS FOLLOWS: ARA BY ROBERT ZIMMERMANN WHO WILL BE IN ARA/CAR, X23449; PA BY JEFF DIETRICH IN ARA/PPC, X23048; H BY CATHERINE THIBODEAU IN H, X22163; SCS BY ALAN GISE, X26610; AND MILITARY BY COL. ROBERT RAMSEY IN THE OPERATIONS CENTER, X23002 OR 20564.
VANCE [Cyrus Vance, Secretary of State]
UNCLASSIFIED