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Writing Peace: The National Archives of the UK (TNA)

Incomplete Transcript of Peter Brooke's Interview Regarding Inter-Party Talks on 27 March 1991

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This is the transcript for part of an interview of Peter Brooke, conducted in London on 27 March 1991. The document records the exchange between Brooke and the interviewer about the purpose of the political talks and the terms on which Sinn Féin would be allowed to take part in the dialogue. The document is annotated and marked.

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Writing Peace: The National Archives of the UK (TNA)

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INTERVIEWER:

But if they turned round later on and said: “OK! We’ll renounce violence!”, is that the avenue they would have to have to get into these talks?

MR. BROOKE:

Whether it would be in these talks one can’t tell because one does not know what in fact is going to be happening but what is absolutely clear is that until violence is renounced – and I don’t just mean a ceasefire, I mean the laying down of arms – there isn’t a place among the other constitutional parties for talking to Sinn Fein.

INTERVIEWER:

So as far as the other political parties are concerned, you are looking for a decrease in violence?

MR. BROOKE:

Yes, in the sense that the purpose of the talks – in addition to the restoration of constitutional democracy in Northern Ireland – is to put further pressure on the terrorists and in that sense bring nearer the day when terrorism is brought to a conclusion.

INTERVIEWER:

The 1990s – what is your long-term objective in terms of the political development of Northern Ireland?