CO 65 11 1 US Department of State Case No Doc No C06511123 Date 03 14 2018 l SECRET PAGE 01 GEORGE 03979 01 OF 022507542 ACTION RELEASE IN FULL INFO OCT-01 880 00 031 2507552 I23 REVIEW AUTHORITY Richard Zorn 2114292 AUG 80 Senior Reviewer FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO SECSTATE WASHDC 3316 INFO AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN SECTION 1 OF 2 GEORGETOWN 3979 EXDIS E O 12065 XDS-4 8 20 00 ROBERTS GEORGE B OR-M TAGS PINT PEPR GY SUBJ RODNEY DEATH FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS REF GEORGETOWN 3783 1 8 SUMMARY THE GUYANESE FOREIGN MINISTRY HAS YET TO PROVIDE US WITH A COPY OF THE BRITISH BOMB BUT THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF POLICE HAS GIVEN US A PLAUSIBLE STORY THAT DEATH COULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT THE COMMISSIONER ADMITTED THAT RADIO FRAGMENTS HAD BEEN FOUND IN THE WRECKAGE OF CAR BUT HE SAID THEY COULD BEEN BEEN PART OF A RADIO-CONTROLLED BOMB SET OFF EITHER PURPOSELY OR PERHAPS BY A SPURIOUS SIGNAL OTHER KNOWLEDGEABLE COMMENTATORS HAVE IMPLIED TO US THAT DEATH WAS JUSTIFIABLE SELF-DEFENSE BY THE GOG SINCE HE HAD BEEN PLANNING THE VIOLENT OVERTHROW OF THE GOVERNMENT WE BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO PRESS FOR A COPY OF THE REPORT WHILE MAINTAINING A LOW PUBLIC PROFILE AND AVOIDING ANY SUPPORTIVE INITIATIVES TOWARD THE GOG END 2 C I TELEPHONED HARRY DYETT PERMANENT SECRETARY IN THE GUYANESE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AUGUST 19 SECRET SECRET PAGE 02 GEORGE 03979 01 OF 02 250754Z TO ASKE WHETHER HE HAD HAD ANY LUCK IN OBTAINING A COPY OF THE BRITISH BOMB REPORT ON WALTER DEATH FROM DEPUTY POLICE COMMISSIONER ROBERTS REFTEL PARA 7C DYETT SAID THAT HE HAD SO FAR BEEN FUL 3 C ITHEN TOLD DYETT THAT I HAD SEEN ROBERTS MYSELF THE PREVIOUS ENVENING I HAD NOT PRESSED ROBERTS FOR THE - REPORT BUT WE HAD DISCUSSED IT ROBERTS HAD TOLD ME THERE WERE FRAGMENTS OF AN AMERICAN RADIO IN THE WRECKAGE UNCLASSIFIED US Department of State Case No IVI-2013-15063 Doc No 306511123 Date 03 14 2018 9990 'S'n 1 38038 L3HU3S 83d SIGX3 G3G v 80dn 33LON 3H N3A3 GNV GHV38 ONIMOHE A8 'dV 81H G3EDNVHO GVH 3H A83A 31d03d M33 WOHM SVM HLIWS LVHJ GIVS 3H 80 SVM NOISIAIG SIH LVHL GIVS Si83808 0 1 24 10 Ll Ho snOIHnds aaHLaa aamaoaa NEIHL CIVH EHJ amaoaa HOLIMS HOLVAILOV sawoa Ho CIVH AENGOE 'awoa SIH N1 GHV CIVH 3HJ SVM 3H NHL GEILVOICINI 3H SAEINCIOH wasmo NO 9 Lsnanv aunt CIEILNEIWWOO Gassnosm NOIJJCICIV NI 0 9 21791092 20 10 L0 61680 308039 90 39Vd L3EO3S i3803S A 'i80d38 awoa GVH mavaoad Ell-U NHL LLEIACI 'waHL wow LI LEJE crmoo 3M CINV CIVH A HSIJJ88 3HJ NHL I NHL GENOILNEIW i '9le010 00 mnoo 3H NHM 333 mnom 3H cuvs LLEAG 3 '9 GaLoadsaa as mnom SLHSIH SABNGOH NHL 08 Ll CINV LI c133 cnnom 3M 3H L NEWS 383M SM n NHL 31030 11nd sn Elm mad OJ Lna acns SIH NO awva sn 0L AELL O L Lnoav 38 0L G3W33S NHL BABES 80 I 'awmo GEBHVHO N338 GVH AaNGoa 30le smadxa awoa 3H L 10 SLoadsv 30mm ans EHL 3M NHL 1101 I '17 SH-LL NI EONVLSISSV 800 OJ 3H1 Nl ASSV8W3 HUM HOHOJ 0N1 L L33 38 3H LVH L 3W 810i GVH 8183808 H008 10 SOILSIH3LOVHVHO 3HJ H3Hi8f'13 0 1 3H 8W08 3H L NI LVHJ GIVS OVH 81 83808 swam 90 r9190 82L Lsgoo ooq 9909L-9Loz-w 839 93318310 '90 0312 6 5 1 1 2 US Department of State Case No Doc No 306511123 Date 03 14 2018 A PAGE 01 GEORGE 03979 02 OF 02 2507492 ACTION SS-30 INFO OCT-01 ADS-00 880-00 031 2507552 23 2114272 AUG 80 FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN TO SECSTATE WASHDC 3317 INFO AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN SECTION 2 OF 2 GEORGETOWN 3979 EXDIS SHOULD BE APPREHENDED IF HE COULD NOT BE POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED THE CASE AGAINST HIM WOULD EVAPORATE 8 C IASKED ROBERTS ABOUT JOAN HURRIED DEPARTURE FROM GUYANA FOR TORONTO VIA THE U S ROBERTS CLAIMED THAT HE HAD OBTAINED A STATEMENT FROM HER BEFORE SHE HAD LEFT I WAS CLEAR HOWEVER SAID ROBERTS THAT SHE KNEW VERY LITTLE OF SMITH AND HIS ACTIVITIES SHE HAD FOR EXAMPLE CLAIMED THAT SHE WAS COMMON LAW WIFE OR AT LEAST FIANCEE ROBERTS SAID THAT SHE APPARENTLY DID NOT KNOW THAT SMITH HAD HAD AT LEAST ONE OTHER FEMALE ASSOCIATE BY WHOM HE HAD HAD TWO CHILDREN 9 C IN THE COURSE OF A LUNCHTIME CONVERSATION AUGUST 18 WITH GUYANESE AMBASSADOR TO WASHINGTON LAURENCE MANN MANN INDICATED THAT DEATH WAS ON BALANCE BETTER FOR GUYANA SINCE HE HAD BEEN PLANNING VIOLENT ACTION AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT IN A DIGRESSION MANN MAINTAINED THAT FATHER DARKE HAD BEEN KILLED A YEAR AGO AS A RESULT OF HIS OWN FOOLISHNESS TAKING PICTURES OF THUGS ENGAGED IN STREET FIGHTING AND THAT FORMER EDUCATION MINISTER TEEKAH AHD ACCIDENTALLY SHOT HIMSELF LAST OCTOBER WHILE ATTEMPTING TO WARD OFF AN SECRET PAGE 02 GEORGE 03979 02 OF 02 2507492 ATTACK BY LOVERS LANE MUGGERS MANN SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD HAD TO LET DR WALTER THE WITNESS TO DEATH LEAVE FOR THE UNITED STATES BECAUSE SHE HAD REFUSED TO SAY ANYTHING USEFUL FOR FEAR OF DAMAGING HER REPUTATION HE DID NOT COMMENT WHEN WE MENTIONED HASW DEPARTURE 10 C A LOCAL SOURCE WHO IS WELL CONNECTED WITH BURNHAM AND HIS FAMILY TOLD ME AUGUST 15 THAT BURNHAM WAS PREPARED TO DO PARCTICALLY ANYTHING IN ORDER TO PROTECT HIS POLITICAL POSITION THE SOURCE SAID THAT RODNEY HAD MADE NO BONES ABOUT THE FACT THAT HE WAS UNCLASSIFIED US Department of State Case No DOC NO 006511123 Date 03 14 2018 6 5 1 1 2 US Department of State Case No M-2013-15063 Doc No 006511123 Date 03 14 2018 0 GOING TO TRY TO BRING BURNHAM DOWN 11 C COMMENT WE ARE AWARE THAT THE RODNEY IN- CIDENT SEEMS INSIGNIFICANT WHEN COMPARED WITH THE BLOODLETTING THAT IS GOING ON ELSEWHERE IN THE HEMISPHERE NEVERTHELESS IN THE GUYANESE CONTEXT WHICH IS A PRODUCT OF THE BRITISH LEGAL AND PARLIA- MENTARY TRADITION DEATH REPRESENTS A SERIOUS CHANGE FOR THE WORSE IN THE POLITICAL CLIMATE CF MAKEPEACE COMMENT TO ME ON MARCH 18 1980 GEORGETOWN 1305 PARA 12 12 S APPROACH TO THE RODNEY CASE IS PLAUSIBLE HE IS HOWEVER KNOWN FOR HIS LOYALTY TO BURNHAM DESPITE THE OPINIONS GEORGETOWN 3783 IT MAY BE POSSIBLE TO OBTAIN CONCLUSIVE PROFF THAT DEATH WAS NOT AN ACCIDENT PARTICULARLY IF SMITH CANNOT BE FOUND OR IF ONCE FOUND HE CANNOT BE IDENTIFIED 13 S ROBERTS HAS NOW FREELY TOLD US ABOUT THE PORTIONS OF THE BOMB REPORT WHICH INTEREST SECRET SECRET PAGE 03 GEORGE 03979 02 OF 02 2507492 US THE PRESENCE OF RADIO FRAGMENTS IN THE WRECKAGE OF CAR AND WE HAVE NOW RECEIVED A POUCHED COPY OF THE REPORT FROM LONDON WE ARE THUS IN A BETTER POSITION TO DRAFTA USEFUL HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT NEVERTHELESS WE THINK WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO PRESS THE FOREIGN MINISTRY FOR A COPY OF THE REPORT IN ORDER TO DEST WHETHER THEY THINK THEY HAVE SOMETHING TO HIDE IN THE MEANTIME WE BELIEVE WE SHOUD TINUE WITH OUR LOW PROFILE POLICY AND OUR AVOIDANCE OF NEW INITATIVES WHICH MIGHT BE INTERPRETED AS SUPPORTIVE OF THE GOG 14 U MOST OF THIS IS SIMPLY FOR THE RECORD WE ARE RE- PEATING IT TO BRIDGETOWN BECAUSE WE HAVE THE IMPRESSION EASTERN CARIBBEAN MEDIA CONTINUE TO BE INTERESTED IN THE RODNEY CASE ROBERTS NOTE UPGRADED TO EXDIS PER SECRET UNCLASSIFIED US Department of State Case No Doc No 006511123 Date 03 14 2018 This document is from the holdings of The National Security Archive Suite 701 Gelman Library The George Washington University 2130 H Street NW Washington D C 20037 Phone 202 994-7000 Fax 202 994-7005 nsarchiv@gwu edu