Nexus - 0223 - New Times Magazine-pages

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whitewash in the long tradition of the — events within the US—or is it merely coin- the CIA that would be valuable in his Warren Commission, Watergate, Iran- cidence that the very same month that research, Lane accepted the case and trav- Contra, and so on. If there was no national Jonestown dominated headlines both at elled to Jonestown in September 1978 to security establishment involvement, then home and abroad, the House Select meet his new client. Upon his return to the why was so much of the evidence classi- Committee on Assassinations was busy United States in October, Lane announced fied? hearing allegations of CIA plots to kill in a press conference that he was When The New York Times published politicians and activists at home and favourably impressed with Jonestown and their one-column report on the House abroad, which subsequently did not make agreed to represent the People's , Committee's findings, they placed itimme- _ the headlines? Temple..."* diately next to a three-column article enti- “Numerous journalists and finally the Lane was at Jonestown when the mas- tled "C.I.A. Linked to Mind-Control Drug House Select Committee on Assassinations _sacre began, as Jim Jones had refused to Experiments".* A hint perhaps? tied the Bay of Pigs, anti-Castro CIA cadre _ allow Congressman Ryan's party to inspect On 12th May 1981, The Globe, a to the assassination of President Kennedy. the camp until he was present, but when Canadian paper, published a one-page arti- The House Committee concluded that _ the serious business began, he was allowed cle by William Harris, entitled "Jim Jones there was “probably” a conspiracy behind _ to escape into jungle. Sull Alive in Brazil", which began: the Kennedy assassination and, though it "Only days later, he stood before the "Jim Jones, former cult leader and CIA declined to name any conspirators, investi House Select Committee-~ on agent, escaped the People’s Temple mas- gated several CIA, Cuban and organised _ Assassinations, still shaken from the expe- sacre in Guyana and is now hiding out in crime figures as possible suspects.” rience in Jonestown. He was upset and Brazil, according to sensational new evi- Certainly if the CIA and its parmers in disorganised. Actually, Lane had been dence.” crime required a distraction from the hear- completely discredited by his association The article also quoted from the lawsuit —_ ings, Jonestown provided it. Furthermore, with Jim Jones. Terri Buford, who reput- brought against the State edly defected from Jonestown only three Department by Senator Ryan's weeks before the massacre, moved into family which labelled Jonestown Lane's Memphis home to help him write "a mass mind-contro! CIA exper- . . an account of his experience, entitled The iment", and named at least two It seems entirely plausible that Strongest Poison. Attesting to Lane's CIA operatives involved in the Jonestown might have been timed § investigative abilities, the book is well- Jonestown operation. It also a x 4 referenced and detailed, but Buford’s quoted Joe Holsinger, Leo Ryan's | to influence a major congressional ff inftuence served to suppress the truth. If long-time friend and attorney, investigation in which the CIA Lane’s career as an expert on CIA con- who had publicly declared: . eae spiracies was not already ruined, the "The more I investigate the | Stood to have its dirtiest laundry § media assault that followed certainly fin- mysteries of Jonestown, the more H 4 ished him. He was accused of, amongst I am convinced there is some- aired before the public. other things, travelling to Switzerland thing sinister behind it all. There with Buford to empty the Temple's bank is no doubt in my mind that Jones accounts in her name. Whether Lane was had very close CIA connections. duped or purchased does not really mat- At the time of the tragedy, the ter; the end result was the same. Jones Temple had three boats in the water off the it served to discredit lawyer Mark Lane has Silenced the foremost critic of the CIA, coast. The boats disappeared shortly who had previously represented James _ while at the Same time using that person to afterwards. Remember, Brazil isa country Earl Ray, the man convicted of assassinat- file a suit against the CIA to disassociate that Jones is very familiar with. He is sup- ing Martin Luther King, Jr, and had co- —_ himself with the agency in those last few posed to have money there. And it is not authored a book on the conspiracy behind critical months of Jonestown.'"* too far from Guyana. My own feeling is his assassination. Lane had also represent- It seems entirely plausible that that Jones was ambushed by CIA agents ed Lee Harvey Oswald's wife Marina, and Jonestown might have been timed to influ- who then disappeared in the boats. But his best-selling book, Rush to Judgement, _ ence a major congressional investigation in the whole story is so mind-boggling that raised early doubts about the Warren _which'the CIA stood to have its dirtiest I'm willing to concede he escaped with Commission report and made him the fore- _ laundry aired before the public. Is it mere- them." most independent authority on the ly co-incidence that the appearance of the The article also quoted a Guyanese offi- | Kennedy assassination. SLA some years earlier provided a similar cial who said, "A lot of people here believe "So convincing was his evidence that distraction for the public at the time the that Jones had a double who died at Lane succeeded in petitioning the govern- CIA's involvement in Watergate was com- Jonestown and that Jones himself is still ment for a second official investigation; ing under scrutiny ? alive", and it pointed out the fact that there the House Select Committee on were 1,200 residents at Jonestown but only Assassinations scheduled their hearings Do You Believe the Lie? 912 bodics were found after the massacre. for November 1978. As Lane was prepar- As the revolving door turns, many Around 300 US passport-holders were ing his testimony and supporting witness- strange ‘coincidences’ have occurred. never accounted for. The article suggested es, he was contacted by Terri Buford of the Another is the fact that Dr Louis Jolyon “They may have fled to another country". People’s Temple. Buford asked Lane to West... vanvacont Tim Tanac wham cho claimod wae furthor bumun ac tho nourhiatrict events within the US—or is it merely coin- cidence that the very same month that Jonestown dominated headlines both at home and abroad, the House Select Committee on Assassinations was busy hearing allegations of CIA plots to kill politicians and activists at home and abroad, which subsequently did not make the headlines? “Numerous journalists and finally the House Select Committee on Assassinations tied the Bay of Pigs, anti-Castro CIA cadre to the assassination of President Kennedy. The House Committee concluded that there was “probably” a conspiracy behind the Kennedy assassination and, though it declined to name any conspirators, investi- gated several CIA, Cuban and organised crime figures as possible suspects."™ Certainly if the CIA and its partners in crime required a distraction from the hear- ings, Jonestown provided it. Furthermore, it served to discredit lawyer Mark Lane who had previously represented James Earl Ray, the man convicted of assassinat- ing Martin Luther King, Jr, and had co- authored a book on the conspiracy behind his assassination. Lane had also represent- ed Lee Harvey Oswald's wife Marina, and his best-selling book, Rush to Judgement, raised early doubts about the Warren Commission report and made him the fore- most independent authority on the Kennedy assassination. "So convincing was his evidence that Lane succeeded in petitioning the govern- ment for a second official investigation; the House Select Committee on Assassinations scheduled their hearings for November 1978. As Lane was prepar- ing his testimony and supporting witness- es, he was contacted by Terri Buford of the People’s Temple. Buford asked Lane to represent Jim Jones whom she claimed was being harassed by the CIA. Encouraged by a large retainer and the promise that Jones had information about Do You Believe the Lie? As the revolving door turns, many strange ‘coincidences’ have occurred. Another is the fact that Dr Louis Jolyon West... "...was further known as the psychiatrist who was called upon to examine Jack Ruby, Lee Harvey Oswald's assassin. It was on the basis of West's diagnosis that A Perfect Time for Death The timing of the Jonestown massacre may well have been dictated by domestic NEXUS e 33 DECEMBER 1994 - JANUARY 1995