TNA Catalogue Ref: FCO 87/3596
Transcript
From: Graham Archer. Republic of Ireland Department
Date: 9 December 1992
CC: Mr Thomas, Mr Bell, Mr Brooker
Mr D A Cooke
TPU, NIO – B
Brief for Prime Ministers telephone conversation with President Elect Clinton
1. We have been asked for a note by tomorrow morning to include in a short brief.
2. Are you content with the following:
Northern Ireland
President-elect Clinton’s closest foreign policy advisers have told our Ambassador that we should not take too seriously statements made by him to Irish-American audiences during the election campaign. These included comment that a US envoy could be a catalyst for peace, on possible support for the MacBride principles that impose conditions on investment in Northern Ireland, a visa for Gerry Adams, and the “wanton use of lethal force.”
We see no need for the Prime Minister to enter into any detail on Northern Ireland with Governor Clinton. But the Prime Minister may wish to play up our concern in a low key on the following lines:-
– We hope to restart the Northern Ireland Talks process shortly;
– We place great importance on this process. It needs careful handling and we shall need continuing American support for it. I look forward to having a fuller word about this when we meet.
G R Archer
Use slide 7 to help students understand why historians would find the sources useful, both because of the information they contain but also because of the inferences they can make from the content of the source and the context. Help them to focus on how historians would find the sources useful even if it may appear to contain one-sided opinions.
Show them the worked example on slides 8-10 and ensure they understand how the source can tell historians a variety of things (Content, Context, Attitudes, How things work.)
It may be helpful to model a response to the table on slide 11 (page 6 of the resource pack) form this source before the students look at the other 6 sources independently.