[Editor’s note: The text for this document was released in 2014 by the now-defunct Wikileaks website at https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/1978GEORGE04218_d.html. This URL may be available through the Wayback Machine.]
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 01
GEORGE 04218 121125Z
ACTION SS-25
INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 SSO-00 /026 W
——————104956 121159Z /13
P 121016Z DEC 78
FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8414
C O N F I D E N T I A L GEORGETOWN 4218
EXDIS
FOR ARA BUSHNELL
E.O. 12065: ADS 5/31/79 (DWYER, R.A) OR-M
TAGS: CASC, OREP (RYAN, LEO), GY
SUBJ: TAPE OF SUICIDES AT JONESTOWN
REF: STATE 310096
1. REFTEL REPORTS “WASHINGTON POST” SUMMARY OF TAPE RECORDING LAST MINUTES OF JONESTOWN. SUMMARY CONTAINS WHAT APPEAR TO BE INACCURACIES IN INTERPRETATION OF EVENTS ON THE TAPE (E.G. IT IS HIGHLY QUESTIONABLE WHETHER IT WAS MARCELINE JONES WITH WHOM JONES DEBATED DESIRABILITY OF DEATH; RELIGOUS [RELIGIOUS] MUSIC MAY HAVE BEEN PREVIOUS MATERIAL ON TAPE NOT PROPERLY ERASED; ETC.)
2. EMBASSY SUGGESTS THAT AFTER TAPE IS PROCESSED SO AS TO BRING OUH DETAILS TO THE GREATEST DERTEE POSSIBLE, TRANSCRIPT BE SENT EMBASSY FOR INTERPRETATION AND COMMENT BY THOSE CLOSEST TO AND MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE OF EVENTS IN JONESTOWN. IT APPEARS QUITE IMPORTANT THAT THE FINAL TRANSCRIPT BE AS ACCURATE AS POSSIBLE.
BURKE [U.S. Ambassador John Burke]
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