Do you want to go straight to a particular resource? Use the Jump Tool and follow 2 steps:
This can usually be found in the top hero section of overview, delegations visualize, session visualize, event visualize, commentary collection, commentary item, resource collection, and resource item pages.
Enter the shortcut code for the page that you wish to search for.
These documents were scanned, collated and catalogued by Ruth Murray, Annabel Harris, Isha Pareek, Eleanor Williams, Antoine Yenk, Harriet Carter, Rosa Moore, Oliver Nicholls, Kieran Wetherwick, and Cerys Griffiths.
Collection associations (1)
Already have an account? Login here
Don't have an account? Register here
Forgot your password? Click here to reset it
None
Copyright
None
Physical Copy Information
None
Digital Copy Information
None
SECRET & PERSONAL
DUSB/7648 (MR/13290)
FROM: A W Stephens 1 September 1989
cc PUS (L) - w/o enc. [2 of 8]
with enc: PUS (b) [3 of 8] Mr Burns (B) [4 of 8] Mr Deverell [5 of 8] Mr A P Wilson [6 of 8] File & FLot [7&8]
MR BURNS[L]-BY BLIS [1 of 8]
There was a report in the Sunday Times of 27 August, by Liam Clarke, to the effect that a video was circulating in republican areas of Northern Ireland featuring a number of senior Provisionals - including Adams - and clearly designed to refute rumours that they might be harbouring doubts about pursuing the armed struggle. I attach a copy with the Belfast copies of this minute. 2. Notwithstanding the comment which Clarke makes about the unlikelihood of those who appear in the video being liable to prosecution, it seems to me that some of their alleged remarks - such as those attributed to Brendan Hughes - might well justify close scrutiny to see if they amounted to incitement; and I am rather inclined to urge the RUC to conduct such a scrutiny, assuming that they could get their hands on a copy of the video, which would not seem likely to be very difficult. However, we ought perhaps to give a little thought first to whether a prosecution would be helpful from a wider point of view - by which I mean whether it would carry the risk of killing off such possibility as exists that any internal debate which may be going on within the Provisionals' ranks will develop in favourable directions. 3. That, of course, begs the question of whether we believe that any such debate is going on, at any rate on a significant scale. I think we are all fairly sceptical about that (and the emergence of this video is hardly calculated to make one any less sceptical, if the Sunday Times description of it is reasonably accurate). There is obviously an argument for saying wait and see - we may have a rather better idea of the prospects in a little while. 4. That may indeed be the right course. But experience tells me that if there is any possibility of persuading the RUC now to give serious consideration to bringing charges on the basis of the video, it will recede markedly with the passage of time. So, if we do opt for wait and see, I think we should do so in the knowledge that we may be leaving very little scope for urging a prosecution subsequently. (I may be quite wrong about this; the RUC may be contemplating a prosecution at this very moment. A neutral question might elicit whether this is so. But I doubt if it is). 5. Perhaps we could have a word about this when you are in Belfast at the beginning of next week. Copy addressees may wish to be involved.
SIGNED
A A STEPHENS SH 511 SC 244
65 1992 - 1997
3
20
9
56
61 1997 - 1997
84 1996 - 1997
112 1997 - 1997
4 1997
70 1997 - 1997
85 1997 - 1997
52 1997 - 1997
38 1991 - 1991
61 1991 - 1992
48 1992 - 1993
58 1993 - 1993
59 1993 - 1993
84 1993 - 1993
134 1993 - 1994
49 1996 - 1996
48 1996 - 1996
87 1996 - 1996
79 1996 - 1996
78 1996 - 1996
55 1996 - 1996
86 1996 - 1996
96 1992 - 1997
79 1996 - 1997
58 1996 - 1997
117 1996 - 1997
46 1997 - 1997
49 1996 - 1997
27 1988 - None
8 1989 - 1990
55 1990 - 1991
64 1991 - 1991
60 1993 - 1994
77 1993 - 1993
64 1993 - 1993
49 1993 - 1995
54 1993 - 1993
57 1993 - 1993
59 1993 - 1993
51 1993 - 1993
26 1993 - 1993
38 1993 - 1993
65 1993 - 1993
37 1993 - 1993
32 1993 - 1993
18 1993 - 1993
24 1993 - 1994
41 1993 - 1994
76 1993 - 1994
32 1993 - 1994
72 1993 - 1994
1 1994
33 1996 - 1996
14 1996 - 1997
4 1996 - 1996
41 1996 - 1996
33 1996 - 1996
30 1996 - 1996
7 1996 - 1996
24 1996 - 1996
17 1996 - 1996
9 1996 - 1996
59 1996 - 1996
74 1996 - 1996
71 1996 - 1996
22 1996 - 1996
77 1996 - 1996
67 1996 - 1996
26 1996 - 1996
20 1996 - 1997
32 1996 - 1996
47 1996 - 1996
10 1996 - 1996
31 1996 - 1996
45 1996 - 1996
17 196 - 1996
60 1996 - 1996
77 1996 - 1996
6 1996 - 1997
39 1996 - 1996
14 1996 - 1996
61 1996 - 1996
23 1996 - 1996
16 1996 - 1996
This memo refers to a report published on 27 August 1989 in the Sunday Times on a video circulating in Northern Ireland which allegedly featured prominent members of PIRA, including Gerry Adams and Brendan Hughes. It discusses whether it would be useful to urge the RUC to press charges on the individuals in the video.
N/A
N/A
Unless further or otherwise specified below, 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), digitized by the Quill Project at https://quillproject.net/resource_collections/351/.