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WISD
MEMORANDUM
TO:
212
HRC
FROM:
Erika Batcheller
RE:
ABC radio interview on Northern Ireland
5485
201-362-
DATE:
June 22, 2000
5929
You are scheduled for a 10-minute interview Friday afternoon with Kathleen Lee of ABC radio.
She's producing a one-hour program on the peace process in Northern Ireland. She'd like to talk
to you about Vital Voices, your experiences visiting Northern Ireland and your perspective on
the future of the peace process.
Kathleen recently traveled to Northern Ireland and has interviewed several key people there and
in the U.S. She also attended the Vital Voices Conference in September 1998 and produced a
documentary that was shown there. She mentioned that she had an opportunity to speak with
you briefly at the conference.
Kathy's program, "Perspectives" is scheduled to air nationally on ABC radio this weekend.
Background follows, including:
1) talking points/press material from the NSC
2) remarks from Vital Voices conference in Belfast
3) information on Kathleen's program
800-999-
Thanks
1222
bac
212-456-
5100
Northern Ireland Key Development (Points to Make)
Restoration of Political Institutions
Delighted that, with the historic vote by David Trimble's
Ulster Unionist Council on May 27, the Northern Ireland peace
process is back on track.
Executive and Assembly are now back up and running - providing
self-government to all the people of Northern Ireland on the
basis of equality, consent and the use of exclusively peaceful
means.
NOW possible for the politics of conflict to be transformed
into the politics of consensus.
Urge all parties to continue to work for implementation of all
aspects of the Good Friday Accord.
Police Reform
A police service that enjoys widespread support from the
community as a whole is a vital element of the Good Friday
Accord.
We continue to monitor closely the implementation of the
Patten Report as it makes its way through the British
parliament.
We have noted that members of Parliament have offered several
amendments to the legislation, which could be debated well
into the summer.
We will not prepare the certification that is required by our
law [which requires the President to certify that the British
and Irish governments are committed to implementing the Patten
reforms before the FBI or other U.S. law enforcement agencies
can provide assistance to the RUC or its successor] until
after the British legislation implementing Patten has been
adopted and we have had a chance to evaluate its impact.
003
CER rs EUR OSN
9150 459 202 PAY LE: : B T PED 09/14/00
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
The White House
For Immediate Release
May 27, 2000
STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT
Northern Ireland: Ulster Unionist Council Vote
I am delighted that, with today's historic developments, the
Northern Ireland peace process is back on track. I congratulate
David Trimble and the Ulster Unionist Council on their decision
to return to self-government in Northern Ireland. This is a
giant step toward fulfillment of the historic promise of the
Good Friday Accord: to provide self-government to all the
people, on the basis of equality, consent and the use of
exclusively peaceful means. The parties are now ready to
reenter the Executive and Legislative Assembly in the coming
days. It is now possible for the politics of conflict to be
transformed into the politics of consensus. I applaud the
leadership of Tony Blair, Bertie Ahern and all the parties. The
wind is back in the sails of peace in Northern Ireland.
###
002
CEE '8 EUR OSN
0910 456 202 PAX 14:47 PED 09/14/00
FIRST LADY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
REMARKS AT VITAL VOICES CONFERENCE
BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND
SEPTEMBER 2, 1998
Thank you. Thank you very much Fiona for that introduction and even more for adding your
vital voice to this conference. I'm sure if you need a note to be excused from school there's about
a thousand of us who would sign it. I want to thank Sue Tibbles and Rosemary Farringdon and
Inez McCormack, not only for what they have said here afternoon, but for their commitment and
dedication to the issues that bring all of us here to Belfast.
Lord Mayor and Minister McFaul; Assembly Members; Mrs. Trimble; Ambassador Lader;
Consul General Fort; and from Dublin, Minister Wallace and Ambassador Kennedy-Smith; and
conference participants and distinguished guests.
It is a great honor and a personal delight to be back in Belfast. I feel embraced by, and greeted
by the sounds of so many women's vital voices. From the reports I have received while I was in
Russia, and the ones I just heard, this conference has already succeeded in bringing people
together and enabling them to share ideas, and to plot together to make the hoped-for peace a
reality. Like all successes, this one, of course, is the product of many hands.
I want to thank everyone associated with the planning and implementation. I particularly want to
thank Theresa Loar who has moderated this afternoon's session for her hard work. I want to
thank Secretary of State Mo Mowlam, who brought to this task vision, dedication, and, according
to my sources at Hillsborough Castle, her skills as a party hostess and dancer par excellence.
I also want to thank the new First Minister of the Assembly David Trimble and the Deputy First
Minister Seamus Mallon. Not only for sponsoring and speaking at this conference on Monday,
but for their leadership in making sure that the seeds of peace, once planted, can grow. I was
pleased to learn that the first reception the Ministers held together was at Stormont in honor of
the women delegates from this conference. And to Lord Mayor, the Belfast City Council and the
entire city of Belfast, thank you for being such wonderful hosts.
As I arrived here a few minutes ago, I thought about how the River Lagan, which once carried
people away from these shores, now brings them back to find the rebirth of Belfast symbolized
by this stunning Waterfront. I have been privileged in a small way to witness this re-birth starting
with my husband's visit in November of 1995, and my return here last October speaking at the
University of Ulster and speaking here to a conference of young people. I have seen in the faces
of men and women and boys and girls, a new openness, a new commitment, a new awareness of
the road that has been traveled and the road that lies ahead.
I know also that the songs of U2 and other great musicians have filled the Waterfront in recent
months, celebrating the transition that is occurring. But I also believe that from workshops to
speeches to quiet conversations, nothing can compare to the powerful voices heard here over the
last few days. Voices from every corner of Northern Ireland, as well as from Ireland, the United
States, England, Scotland, and Wales. From every tradition. From every sector of society.
Every age. Women and Men. All blending into a powerful chorus calling for women to become
full participants in a secure and democratic Northern Ireland. A Northern Ireland that people
have hoped for, lived for, died for, and, yes, finally voted for. Tomorrow, my husband will come
here to the Waterfront to address your new Assembly, and to congratulate the citizens of
Northern Ireland for this hard won peace that is yours.
The last few months have shown what people here have always known: the road to peace will
never be easy. But the world has also seen how no fires, bombs or terrorists will ever turn you
back. When my husband and I go to Omagh tomorrow, we will pay tribute to those who were
murdered by the enemies of peace. They were mostly women and children. They were Catholic
and Protestant, Unionist and Nationalist, young and old. They were people simply living their
lives, working at a drapery store, hanging out with friends, buying school uniforms for their
children.
The terrorists targeted the people of Northern Ireland and in response, it was the people, all the
people, who bravely stood side by side to say: Hatred and violence will no longer have a place.
here. We have chosen ballots not bombs, democracy not division, we have resolved to live in
peace and we will never go back. We will only move forward. And as you do, please know that
America will stand with you.
How appropriate it is that this conference takes place the first week of school - not only because
it's a time for new friends and new beginnings. But also because, ultimately, our children are the
reason we are here. For 30 years, parents dropped their children off for school - tucked in their
shirts, kissed them goodbye, and dreamed of a time when they could play outside free from
violence. Dreamed of a time when their children's opportunities and destinies would never again
be limited by their place of worship or political party or by whether they're a boy or girl. Today,
there is real hope that this dream, once expressed through poetry and protest, will finally be a
reality for children in Northern Ireland.
None of this would have been possible were it not for the courage and strength of generations of
women. Though they may have worshiped separately on Sunday, seven days a week, they all
said a silent prayer for their husbands to return safely home. Seven days a week, they lived in
fear that the unspeakable would happen, they would be forced to bury their own child. And yet,
seven days a week, they carried on with hope and prayer that the future would be brighter, free of
troubles and heartbreak.
Wives. Mothers. Sisters. Daughters. Few were household names. But, having seen their lives
and communities torn apart by violence, women came together as women have always done-
around kitchen tables, at the market, in gatherings like this. It was women whose whispers of
"enough," became a torrent of voices that could no longer be ignored. If we listen carefully, their
voices still echo through this room and lift ours up today.
If we listen, we can hear the voices of women who withstood jeers and threats, prejudice and
violence to make themselves heard in a political world once reserved primarily for men. We can
hear the voices of women in Craigavon, who, instead of burrowing into their sorrow used the
power of the pen to heal by writing and sharing their poetry, short stories, essays and plays. In
one poem, Madge Steele writes about finding common ground:
Weave the threads of real friendship with the colors of life
Use the pattern of Peace and leave out the strife
Thread the friends that are young along with the old
And you'll find on your loom a fabric of Gold.
If we listen, we can hear the voices of those who helped weave this fabric of Gold grassroots
activists like the late Joyce McCarten, who literally wove communities together through the
Troubles. Three years ago, when I met Joyce at Ye Olde Lamplighter on Lower Ormeau Road.
Around a small wooden table, we sipped tea and talked about what had brought these women
together. How they realized that history and religion were keeping them apart even when they
all wanted the same things: Good jobs and good schools for their children. Streets you could
walk down safely. Security and prosperity. you could count on. A future you could believe in.
Hardly a radical agenda. But, for this, Joyce was called a "trouble-maker." Well, she had
another name for herself, and when she met me she proudly announced that she called herself a
"Family Feminist." Because saving families was the goal of all she did. I have met many
family feminists around the world. In South Africa, Bosnia, Kazakhstan, Russia, and China,
Nicaragua, Brazil, Pakistan and India. Places that are riven by strife, by disagreement, by
conflict caused by racial religious ethnic tribal differences. Yet in the midst of even the worst of
times, there are women like these who stand up and say - stop for a minute please, think about
what is really important for us and our children.
I met such women at the Vital Voices conference in Austria. Inspired by Ambassador Swanee
Hunt, who is here with us today. I met them at the United Nations Conference on Women in
Beijing, where I remembered clearly the banners that were created by women from every part of
the world. They spread those banners across the Great Wall. Woven into them were the dreams
of women, who may have worn different clothes, eaten different foods, followed different
religions, and talked in different languages but they spoke the same mother tongue- - the
language of freedom and hope.
And they sent a clear message: Economic progress depends on the women's progress.
Democratic progress depends on women's progress. Human rights are women's rights and
women's rights are human rights. And this conference is part of an on-going global initiative
that is making those points over and over again and in the process transforming women's lives
and societies.
What better time to recommit ourselves to these basic truths than in this year of the 50th
anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We're not talking about paying lip
service to rights written down on a piece of paper and filed away. Rather, we're talking about
how we treat each other at home and work, at church and school and in political assemblies: Are
we valued ? Do we have the food, health care, education, shelter, the income we need to survive
and flourish. Do we have access to the opportunities to help us reach our God-given potentials.
Now many of the women here in Northern Ireland and throughout the world with whom I have
met, know nothing of this Universal Declaration of Rights. But they know in their hearts and
souls, that in spite of all they are told by culture and tradition, they were endowed with God-
given rights, as surely as they were born into the human family. And the reason we want those
rights is not merely to make a statement, or to be part of a political movement, but because we
want to help create a better world, a world in which we can walk safely and we can live
peacefully together with those who are like us and are unlike us, because we want our dignity
and the dignity of all human beings respected.
In Beijing, I was particularly moved by the banner created by women of this Island. On it, was a
picture of a red-haired woman standing on top of the world. And since that day in 1995, it's
amazing how far she's climbed in Northern Ireland alone.
Who would have thought that the majority of women from both traditions would step forward
and vote "yes" on a Peace Agreement? Who would have thought that when the first Assembly
convenes, its seats will be filled with 14 women? And who would have thought that the
Agreement would demand a society that is truly inclusive? Not just all religions and political
parties. But of all women and men alike.
As my good friend, Secretary of State Albright likes to say, advancing the cause of women is
"not just the right thing to do. It is the smart thing to do for any society." It was the smart thing
for women to clear the path for reconciliation that brought us to this day. And it is the smart
thing for women to play a central role in the reconstruction that will usher in a Northern Ireland
that fulfills the promise of democracy, prosperity, and yes, peace, for all its citizens. Because as
you well know the Peace Agreement was the beginning, not the end.
What you have been doing here is thinking through in practical ways what must be done to fulfill
the promise of peace, you know better than I it will take far more than discussions, conferences
and reports. The hopes for peace will have to be translated into the hard work of practical action
and political compromise, not only in the Assembly, but in every corner of society. So the real
challenge of this conference starts as we leave. How will each of us work to fulfill the promise
of peace? That, of course, will be up to the men and women of Northern Ireland to decide. But,
based on what we know about the conditions that promote peace and prosperity, we, I think, can
agree on basic goals: All people must have access to the tools of opportunity-good education,
quality healthcare. Good jobs, loans and credit. The kinds of opportunities that will give
responsible people of whatever backgrounds the chance to move forward into the 21st century
with confidence.
If we are to fulfill the promise of peace, we have to translate into practical action what these
goals mean. How do we, for example have an education system that serves the needs of young
people moving in a very different world, dominated by the global economy? How do we make
available the kinds of credits that small business people need to build a thriving economy from
the ground up in the most depressed areas of Northern Ireland? How do we work to make sure
that, loans and microcredit financing are available, that the businesses, the government and
particularly the banks here will meet the needs of people anxious to demonstrate that they can
build economic opportunities for themselves?
If the promise of peace is to be fulfilled, then all people must be safe from violence. And in
particular all women must be safe from violence, whether it happens in their homes or on the
streets. Domestic violence which breathes the conditions of violence and aggressiveness setting
one person against another must be seen for what it is: a crime, not a family matter. If the
promise is peace is to be fulfilled, then all women and men must feel free to make their voices
heard through the ballot box and the soap box. Now there are many goals and you have
discussed them all here at this conference.
Surely, these goals require a guarantee of equal opportunity and democracy and that is what you
have chosen. But, as our country has learned, democracy is hard work. It is a never-ending
struggle. You never get it right, there is no perfect democracy, and its success ultimately
depends not just on laws and institutions, but on attitudes and values. On getting along with
people with whom you have profound differences. On the lessons we taught children as they are
tucked into bed at night.
If you think just about women and girls, what are some of those lessons we want women and
girls here and throughout the world to be learning. We teach our girls that we value them, not for
what they look like, but for what they think, feel, do and dream? Will our businesses do more to
help women get child care and other tools they need to successfully balance work and
family so that no women never have to make the choice between the job they need to put food
on the table and the time they must give to the children they love? When a woman speaks up in
the home, or the community, or the Assembly, will she listen as carefully and respectfully as if
she were a man? And, as women, will we finally respect each other's choices? Will we admit
that there is no model for women today that is one size fits all? That we can choose full time
work or full-time motherhood and home-making, or like most women, doing both at certain
parts of our lives. And will we support the choices that each of us makes.
As you struggle both with issues unique to Northern Ireland and with ones experienced by
women everywhere, I want you to know that the American government, the American people,
and the larger worldwide community want to help you succeed.
What women have said over the last few days is they want the tools to lift up their voices and the
lives of their families. And in this room are partners who want to help them do just that. We
already heard from two, the Body Shop and Ford Motor Company.
I want to applaud the more than $2 million in partnerships committed to the outcomes of this
conference. They come from all sectors of society and they are dedicated to diverse areas like
political leadership and media training, mentoring and most importantly economic development.
This is just the beginning.
We leave here today with a commitment from the U.S. Department of Labor and the Northern
Ireland Employment and Training Agency to improve women's access to jobs, child care, and
training. We leave here with a commitment from the Institute of Directors [a group of European
executives] to help women in middle management get the mentoring and training they need to
succeed in European and world markets.
We leave here with commitments from corporations ranging from Xerox to MCI and from
America Online to Marriott, which, for example, will provide internships for young people in the
tourism industry. And I have to say, as I flew in from Moscow today, and was coming down to
land over the landscape of Northern Ireland, I thought to myself, this is one of the most beautiful
places on God's earth. A place that many people will want to come to visit to see for
themselves. We leave here with commitments from the President and Secretary of State of the
United States that our government will be vigorously engaged in turning the conference's
partnerships into results.
And we are encouraged to learn that our Northern Ireland partners are establishing a follow-up
mechanism to carry all of this forward.
As we leave here, let us pledge to each other that this is only the beginning that, as the Peace
Agreement is implemented, the voices we raised will never fade away. Instead, they will spread
into every community, and as Inez reminded us they will be joined by many others who are not
in this hall today.
Because, regardless of whether a man or women voted yes or no on the peace agreement now in
a democracy, every single citizen has a role to play in fulfilling the promise of peace. It will take
businesses and non-governmental organizations. Churches of every tradition inspiring us to use
our faith as a source of strength and unity. It will take men of all ages, because this struggle can
never and will never be won without them. It will take all of you here, the women of Northern
Ireland speaking out whenever injustices arise, to point out opportunities to face up to challenges
and to speak for those who are still voiceless.
It will take young people like Fiona. Just a months ago, I had the opportunity to meet Fiona and
other young women and men who had come to Washington with Project Children and the
Children's Friendship Project. Some of them are here today. One, Vicky Moore, interned in my
office and stood in the Forum elections for her constituency.
Another, Janette Rooney, stayed in our nation's capital for six weeks, learning about leadership,
community service, and how to build bridges of understanding between diverse communities.
But on the day before Janette returned to her home in County Tyrone, the Omagh bomb went off.
Several of her fellow students turned on CNN and saw their own friends being taken away to the
hospital. One of Janette's best friends was killed.
When the director of the Children's Friendship Project called Janette at home a few days later to
extend her condolences, Janette's mother mentioned how her daughter had just received an
invitation to this Vital Voices conference. How, during this time of suffering and unspeakable
loss, this conference gave Janette something to look forward to. And how proud her mother was
that her daughter was part of the solution part of the new generation part of the future of
Northern Ireland. For that is what you are helping to create.
Tomorrow, I will visit with the Lord Mayor and others one of the beautiful green spaces in
Belfast. It is the kind of place any mother or father would want their children to be able to play
freely. There's a new partnership being formed between an American partnership named
KaBOOM, and PlayBoard, a Northern Ireland organization devoted to creating safe
environments for children to play. They hope to create such an environment somewhere in
Belfast.
And what they build won't be some adult's vision of what sparks a child's imagination. The
children themselves will design this space. They will be the architects of their own environment.
In a way that is a metaphor for what's happening in Northern Ireland, isn't it. All of you are now
the architects of a new environment. You are ultimately those who will determine whether the
children of Northern Ireland can play. like children should without respect to religion or
politics, without stereotyping or name calling, without fear or violence. That is for me the
ultimate dream I see in my mind's eye, as I land here in your airport, as I travel the streets, as I
look into the faces of the people standing on the curbs waving at my car. I believe that will
happen, and when it does we will think back to this conference and we will know that women's
voices played a vital role in fulfilling this promise of peace for all citizens of Northern Ireland -
for men and women, for boys and girls.
May God bless you in this important work and the future you will build together.
Thank you very much.
ABC News Radio Interview Proposal
For The First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton
Subject: The Northern Ireland Peace Process
ABC Radio Program: "Perspective" - a one-hour weekly magazine-style radio show
On over 300 radio stations around the U.S.
Reporter: Kathleen Lee, ABC News, New York
Proposed dates/time: week of June 12th, in accordance with Mrs. Clinton's schedule
The proposed interview would take between approximately 10-15 minutes. I am most
interested in Mrs. Clinton's reflections of her time in Northern Ireland and her
relationships forged with women throughout the province. After visiting there last week
and interviewing many residents there, numerous people referred to Mrs. Clinton and
President Clinton as tremendous role models. Therefore, I think it would be appropriate
to include the First Lady's thoughts and feelings on the people of Northern Ireland.
The proposed topics for discussion include: Mrs. Clinton's women's initiatives (the
Vital Voices Conference), her experiences when visiting Northern Ireland, and if she
would like to comment on the future of the region, economically and politically.
The interview will be used in conjunction with interviews I have already conducted or am
scheduled to speak with, both in Northern Ireland and in the U.S. (Already interviewed:
First Minister David Trimble, Mr. John Hume, Mr. Gerry Adams, Senator George
Mitchell, Ms. Monica Mc Williams, Mr. David Ervine, Sir Reg Empey, Ms. Anne
Smith, U.S. Representatives Peter King and Joe Crowley. Proposed upcoming
interviewees: President Clinton, Mr. Peter Mandelson, Senator Edward Kennedy (all still
pending), and in Washington: Mr. Peter Smyth, Rosemary O'Neill and Mrs. Jean
Kennedy Smith, as well as numerous private individuals in Northern Ireland.)
The program could be described as a retrospective report of the changing nature of
Northern Ireland over the last two years and where it is heading in the future. As
someone who has played a large role in helping to establish lines of communications
between the various communities in Northern Ireland, Mrs. Clinton's insights into the
region and it's people would greatly enhance the program. The show "Perspective"
simply put, is a show that describes people.
Thank you very much for your assistance with this possible interview. I sincerely hope
that the First Lady's schedule might enable her participation in the program. My contact
#'s in New York are: 212-265-5485 OR 201-362-5929. Our ABC office number is 212-
456-5100, but I will be out working on the show for most of next week.
Many thanks,
Kathlen Lee
Kathleen Lee
TOTAL P.02
Erica Batchelle
Norland, Richard B. (EUR)
67805
From:
Norland, Richard B. (EUR)
2 Themes: (1) how much has
Sent:
Monday, April 10, 2000 9:00 AM
To:
Crowley, Philip J. (PRESS)
been accomplished.
Cc:
@BLINKEN; @PRESS - Public Affairs; Steinberg, James
Subject:
RE: URGENT REQUEST FOR PRESS GUIDANCE [UNCLASSIFIED]
(c) U.S. hope x
confidence That
momenture can be
DRAFT:
Northern Ireland - Anniversary of Good Friday Accord
restored. Dian
Q. April 8 marked the second anniversary of the Good Friday Accord -- where are we in the peace process?
A. Historic accomplishments have taken place over the past two years, and with additional good will and
compromise by key parties, all aspects of the Good Friday Accord can still be implemented. With each passing
day, Northern Ireland continues to move toward greater normality.
Paramilitary ceasefires are still in place; no serious party believes its aims can be achieved through violence.
Constitutional reforms have been enshrined that guarantee there will be no changes in territorial status
without the consent of the majority,
Paramilitary prisoners have been released and are being reintegrated into civilian life.
The presence of military forces in everyday life has dropped significantly.
Reforms are underway to make policing and the judicial system acceptable to all sides of the community.
Prospects have been opened up for unprecedented cooperation on economic and social issues across the
border and between the islands of Ireland and Britain.
Political institutions providing for local rule have been established, and will - we hope - be restored to full
operation in the near future.
Inward investment and local job creation have been on the upswing during the climate of increasing
confidence.
Q. But there has been no decommissioning of paramilitary weapons -- if this is still the case on May 22 [two years from
approval of the GFA by referendum] can't it be said the Accord is dead?
A. Absolutely not -- refer you to points above. GFA is contributing to improvements in the lives of the people of
Northern Ireland and will continue to do so.
Clearly there are still aspects of the Accord that have yet to be implemented in full, and precisely for this
reason we call on all parties to take the steps needed to build confidence on each side and restore
momentum to this process.
The United States strongly supports the process; President Clinton will do anything he can to help the
governments and the parties as they consider the difficult steps ahead.
Meanwhile, it is vital that the ceasefires remain intact and that the brutal, barbaric practice of so-called
"punishment attacks" be brought to an end immediately.
Original Message
From:
Crowley, Philip J. (PRESS)
Sent:
Monday, April 10, 2000 6:01 AM
To:
@ALLNSC - NSC Staff
Subject:
URGENT REQUEST FOR PRESS GUIDANCE [UNCLASSIFIED]
Here's what we'll need for today:
DASIA: How does USG feel about Korea summit? What are prospects for success?
ASIA: Has the USG underestimated or ignored extent of PRC's concern over Taiwan?
1
TOO
P
NSC EUR & CEE
04/10/00 MON 14:29 FAX 202 456 9150
TALKING POINTS
The United States has great hope and confidence that the peace process momentum can be
restored. We encourage all parties involved to continue to forge ahead to fully implement
all elements of the accord.
The United States strongly supports the peace process; President Clinton will continue to do
anything he can to foster goodwill and cooperation between key parties in order to move the
peace process along.
Historic accomplishments have taken place in the two years since adoption of the Good
Friday Accord and we are confident that more progress can be made to further improve the
lives of the people of Northern Ireland.
We have seen great changes since the accord was reached: Paramilitary ceasefires remain
intact, constitutional reforms have been made and political institutions providing for local
rule are under development.
It is vital to the peace process that the ceasefires remain intact to encourage further progress
in meeting all aspects of the Good Friday Accord.
Adrian Finnery Frish Padro
MEMORANDUM
TO: HRC
FROM: Lissa, Erika
RE: Interview with BBC Belfast "Just Jones"
DATE: April 10, 2000
You are scheduled for a 15 minute radio interview Monday afternoon with George Jones, the
host of "Just Jones," an afternoon phone-in and music program on BBC Radio Ulster. Jones was
originally set to interview you in New York around St. Patrick's Day, but we were unable to
accommodate his request due to scheduling problems.
Your interview today will be pre-recorded to air April 14 in conjunction with an April 15
television documentary Jones has produced on his visit to New York City for St. Patrick's Day.
The general purpose of your interview is to deliver a goodwill message to the people of Northern
Ireland. Jones also would like to discuss your visits to Northern Ireland, the peace process, your
impressions of New York and your experience there on St. Patrick's Day.
"Just Jones" is one of the top-rated radio programs on BBC Radio Ulster. The show's audience
includes all age groups, from children to senior citizens, and the content is typically light-hearted
in nature.
The interview will be done over an ISDN phone line (to improve sound quality) from the studio
in Room 415.
Attached are brief talking points and background information from the NSC on the April 8
anniversary of the Good Friday Accord.
MEMORANDUM
TO: HRC
FROM: Lissa, Erika
RE: Interview with BBC Belfast "Just Jones"
DATE: April 10, 2000
You are scheduled for a 15 minute radio interview Monday afternoon with George Jones, the
host of "Just Jones," an afternoon phone-in and music program on BBC Radio Ulster. Jones was
originally set to interview you in New York around St. Patrick's Day, but we were unable to
accommodate his request due to scheduling problems.
Your interview today will be pre-recorded to air April 14 in conjunction with an April 15
television documentary Jones has produced on his visit to New York City for St. Patrick's Day.
The general purpose of your interview is to deliver a goodwill message to the people of Northern
Ireland. Jones also would like to discuss your visits to Northern Ireland, the peace process, your
impressions of New York and your experience there on St. Patrick's Day.
"Just Jones" is one of the top-rated radio programs on BBC Radio Ulster. The show's audience
includes all age groups, from children to senior citizens, and the content is typically light-hearted
in nature.
The interview will be done over an ISDN phone line (to improve sound quality) from the studio
in Room 415.
Attached are brief talking points and background information from the NSC on the April 8
anniversary of the Good Friday Accord.
show notes
- 1st parade as manher in NY
also in Chicago
- manded catire parade
- Joe Gowles- - slept :- basement
So 2 dd stay at their house
, love Belfast -
- do hand work of bldg place a regroud
-
Adrian Flamey - radio show
TALKING POINTS
The United States has great hope and confidence that the peace process momentum can be
restored. We encourage all parties involved to continue to forge ahead to fully implement
all elements of the accord.
The United States strongly supports the peace process; President Clinton will continue to do
anything he can to foster goodwill and cooperation between key parties in order to move the
peace process along.
Historic accomplishments have taken place in the two years since adoption of the Good
Friday Accord and we are confident that more progress can be made to further improve the
lives of the people of Northern Ireland.
We have seen great changes since the accord was reached: Paramilitary ceasefires remain
intact, constitutional reforms have been made and political institutions providing for local
rule are under development.
It is vital to the peace process that the ceasefires remain intact to encourage further progress
in meeting all aspects of the Good Friday Accord.
Erica Batchella
Norland, Richard B. (EUR)
67805
From:
Norland, Richard B. (EUR)
2 Thermer: (1) how much has
Sent:
Monday, April 10, 2000 9:00 AM
To:
Crowley, Philip J. (PRESS)
been accomplished.
Cc:
@BLINKEN; @PRESS - Public Affairs; Steinberg, James
Subject:
RE: URGENT REQUEST FOR PRESS GUIDANCE [UNCLASSIFIED]
(c) U.S. hope X
confidence That
DRAFT:
Northern Ireland - Anniversary of Good Friday Accord
momenture can be
Q. April 8 marked the second anniversary of the Good Friday Accord -- where are we in the peace process?
restored. Disn
A. Historic accomplishments have taken place over the past two years, and with additional good will and
day, Northern Ireland continues to move toward greater normality.
compromise by key parties, all aspects of the Good Friday Accord can still be implemented. With each passing
Paramilitary ceasefires are still in place; no serious party believes its aims can be achieved through violence.
Constitutional reforms have been enshrined that guarantee there will be no changes in territorial status
without the consent of the majority,
Paramilitary prisoners have been released and are being reintegrated into civilian life.
The presence of military forces in everyday life has dropped significantly.
Reforms are underway to make policing and the judicial system acceptable to all sides of the community.
Prospects have been opened up for unprecedented cooperation on economic and social issues across the
border and between the islands of Ireland and Britain.
Political institutions providing for local rule have been established, and will - we hope - be restored to full
operation in the near future.
confidence. Inward investment and local job creation have been on the upswing during the climate of increasing
Q. But there has been no decommissioning of paramilitary weapons - if this is still the case on May 22 [two years from
approval of the GFA by referendum] can't it be said the Accord is dead?
A. Absolutely not - refer you to points above. GFA is contributing to improvements in the lives of the people of
Northern Ireland and will continue to do so.
Clearly there are still aspects of the Accord that have yet to be implemented in full, and precisely for this
reason we call on all parties to take the steps needed to build confidence on each side and restore
momentum to this process.
The United States strongly supports the process; President Clinton will do anything he can to help the
governments and the parties as they consider the difficult steps ahead.
Meanwhile, it is vital that the ceasefires remain intact and that the brutal, barbaric practice of so-called
"punishment attacks" be brought to an end immediately.
----Original Message--
From:
Crowley, Philip J. (PRESS)
Sent:
Monday, April 10, 2000 8:01 AM
To:
DALLNSC NSC Staff
Subject:
RGENT REQUEST FOR PRESS GUIDANCE [UNCLASSIFIED]
Here's what we'll need for today:
ASIA: How does USG feel about Korea summit? What are prospects for success?
ASIA: Has the USG underestimated or ignored extent of PRC's concern over Taiwan?
1
TOO
NSC EUR & CEE
04/10/00 MON 14:29 FAX 202 456 9150
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