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These documents were scanned, collated and catalogued by Ruth Murray, Annabel Harris, Isha Pareek, Eleanor Williams, Antoine Yenk, Harriet Carter, Oliver Nicholls, Kieran Wetherwick, and Cerys Griffiths.
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PAB/6796/SM/RN
FROM: S A MARSH, PAB
DATE: 15 JANUARY 1991
PS/PUS (B&L) - V [1&2]
cc Mr Ledlie - B [3]
Mr Pilling - B [4]
Mr Deverrel - B [5]
Mr Alston - B [6]
Mr Thomas - B [7]
Mr McNeill - B [8]
Mr Petch - B [9]
POLITICAL MOVEMENT AND THE PROVISIONALS
At the meeting which PUS chaired on 4 January I was asked to give thought to elements of a statement which HMG would make it it became known that a Government representative had talked to the Provisionals in the absence of a permanent renunciation of violence on the part of PIRA. An assessment of whether any such discussion would be likely to leak has been provided separately.
2. Clearly there are a number of scenarios, depending on the precise outcome of any such discussions. For example, much would depend on whether Sinn Fein would be prepared to renounce publicly the entire concept of armed struggle as a means of securing political objectives, or whether the result was simply calling off of the current campaign. To this extent, therefore, it is impossible to draft a detailed statement in advance of the event.
3. But it is nonetheless possible, and useful, to establish the outlines of what we might say to justify our participation in talks without a cessation of violence. The attached draft attempts to do this. It covers two scenarios: participation in abortive discussions, and the opening of a process which did ultimately lead to a cessation of violence. I have also had a go at playing Adams at his own game by providing wording which emphasises the distinction between Sinn Fein and PIRA; but this is not, I think, essential to the main thrust of what we would have to say.
[Signed]
S A MARSH
Political Affairs Division
Ext 2232 SH
RN/6328
PAB/6796/SM/RN
FROM: S A MARSH, PAB DATE: 15 JANUARY 1991
PS/PUS (B&L) - V [1&2]
cc Mr Ledlie - B [3] Mr Pilling - B [4] Mr Deverrel - B [5] Mr Alston - B [6] Mr Thomas - B [7] Mr McNeill - B [8] Mr Petch - B [9]
POLITICAL MOVEMENT AND THE PROVISIONALS
At the meeting which PUS chaired on 4 January I was asked to give thought to elements of a statement which HMG would make it it became known that a Government representative had talked to the Provisionals in the absence of a permanent renunciation of violence on the part of PIRA. An assessment of whether any such discussion would be likely to leak has been provided separately.
Clearly there are a number of scenarios, depending on the precise outcome of any such discussions. For example, much would depend on whether Sinn Fein would be prepared to renounce publicly the entire concept of armed struggle as a means of securing political objectives, or whether the result was simply calling off of the current campaign. To this extent, therefore, it is impossible to draft a detailed statement in advance of the event.
But it is nonetheless possible, and useful, to establish the outlines of what we might say to justify our participation in talks without a cessation of violence. The attached draft attempts to do this. It covers two scenarios: participation in abortive discussions, and the opening of a process which did ultimately lead to a cessation of violence. I have also had a go at playing Adams at his own game by providing wording which emphasises the distinction between Sinn Fein and PIRA; but this is not, I think, essential to the main thrust of what we would have to say.
[Signed]
S A MARSH Political Affairs Division Ext 2232 SH RN/6328
27 1987 - 1990
38 1993
55 1990 - 1991
64 1993 - 1997
26 1993
57 1993
59 1993
51 1993
18 1993
24 1993 - 1994
41 1993 - 1994
32 1993 - 1994
72 1993 - 1994
8 1989 - 1990
76 1993 - 1994
1 1994
60 1993
65 1993
37 1993
54 1993
32 1993
77 1993
59 1993
49 1993
61 1991 - 1992
38 1991
48 1992 - 1993
134 1993 - ?-??
59 1993 - 1993
84 1993
64 1991
42
9
31 1996 - 1996
61 196 - 1996
49 1996 - 1996
20 1996 - 1997
32 1996 - 1996
14 1996 - 1996
74 1996 - None
4 1996 - 1996
8 1996 - 1996
30 1996 - 1996
7 1996 - 1996
24 1996 - 1996
9 1996 - 1996
59 1996 - 1996
60 1996 - 1996
14 1996 - 1997
41 1996 - 1996
45 1996 - 1996
67 1996 - 1996
16 1996 - 1996
1991-01-15
This memo notes that the British Government's response to the revelation of its communication with PIRA in the absence of PIRA's renunciation of violence would depend on the outcome of these discussions. It encloses a document with draft elements of a defensive line on the subject.
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Unless otherwise specified, this material falls under Crown Copyright and contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
The National Archives of the UK (TNA), digitzed by the Quill Project at https://quillproject.net/resource_collections/351/.