{"id":79840,"date":"2018-05-16T17:49:09","date_gmt":"2018-05-17T00:49:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/?page_id=79840"},"modified":"2026-04-24T16:52:52","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T23:52:52","slug":"serial-70","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/?page_id=79840","title":{"rendered":"Serial 70"},"content":{"rendered":"

[Editor\u2019s notes<\/strong>: This document was released both as a State Department cable<\/a><\/u> as part of its 1981 FOIA release, and as Serial 70<\/a><\/u> of the FBI\u2019s RYMUR release. <\/p>\n

[The original RYMUR release cut off several words. They are designated in red type below.<\/p>\n

[The text for this document was released in 2014 by Wikileaks<\/a>. It is also available through the Internet Archive<\/a>.]<\/em><\/p>\n

SECRET
\nPAGE 01
\nSTATE 295263
\nORIGIN SS-25
\nINFO OCT-01 ISO-00 SSO-00 CCO-00 \/026 R
\nDRAFTED BY ARA:JABUSHNELL:MG
\nAPPROVED BY ARA:JABUSHNELL
\nS\/S-O:JTHYDEN
\n——————003522 220434Z \/73<\/p>\n

O 220416Z NOV 78
\nFM SECSTATE WASHDC
\nTO AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN IMMEDIATE
\nS E C R E T STATE 295263
\nEXDIS<\/p>\n

E.O. 11652: GDS
\nTAGS: GY, CASC, OREP
\nSUBJECT: FBI IN GUYANA
\nREF: GEORGETOWN 3850<\/p>\n

1. FBI is very concerned [words cut off in RYMUR release]<\/span> that it has not been permitted to send<\/span> small team of agents to Guyana to assist with investigation of death [of] large number of Americans. Senior DOJ and FBI officials regret that prompt decision to offer more assistance was not made Sunday. They have now determined that attack on congressman and US diplomat not only justifies but virtually requires FBI efforts.<\/p>\n

Moreover, they feel that close relationship between many of Americans in Guyana and in the US means that information for cases they are pursuing in this country may be available in Guyana, e.g. illegal US arms exports to Guyana. Strong feelings on this subject is indicated by fact that Deputy Attorney General [Benjamin] Civiletti telephoned me this evening to stress his strong concern.<\/p>\n

SECRET
\nSECRET
\nPAGE 02<\/p>\n

STATE 295263<\/p>\n

2. Justice and FBI suggest that strongest arguments with GOG [Government of Guyana] would be following:<\/p>\n

(a) FBI is capable<\/span> of providing technical assistance in many<\/span> fields including experience with people in various cults.<\/p>\n

(b) given large number of American dead and inherent complexity of case, there will be inevitable accusations that gog investigation deficient in some respects. Actual on-site participation of small number FBI would enhance American public confidence in outcome investigation.<\/p>\n

(c) given likely links investigation to activities in us, on-site presence would facilitate coordination and exchange which might be at least as valuable in Guyanese part of investigation as in American investigation.<\/p>\n

3. I told Mr. Civiletti that key role in developing GOG agreement to additional FBI will be played by legal attache now in country. To extent he can develop technical level requests for FBI assistance, it would be much easier for you to obtain senior level approval. I assured him I would communicate DOJ and FBI interest to you and assured him you would make appropriate efforts to obtain necessary invitation\/clearances. He said FBI would be communicating with legal attache along lines indicated above.<\/p>\n

4. I believe modest additional FBI presence would<\/p>\n

SECRET
\nSECRET
\nPAGE 03<\/p>\n

STATE 295263<\/p>\n

Be in the interest of both GOG and USG [U.S. Government]. Thus, I would hope above arguments and others you may develop will enable you to arrange clearances over next couple of days.<\/p>\n

Christopher [Deputy Secretary of State Warren Christopher]<\/p>\n

SECRET<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[Editor\u2019s notes: This document was released both as a State Department cable as part of its 1981 FOIA release, and as Serial 70 of the FBI\u2019s RYMUR release. [The original RYMUR release cut off several words. They are designated in red type below. [The text for this document was released in 2014 by Wikileaks. It […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":69686,"menu_order":74,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-79840","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/79840","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=79840"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/79840\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":137414,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/79840\/revisions\/137414"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/69686"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=79840"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}