4 June 1991
K Tebbitt Esq British Embassy WASHINGTON
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Min 090/4
5 JUL
W
Foreign & Commonwealth
Office
London SWIA 2AH
130, MEN
Dear Kevin,
SENATOR BIDEN
1. As arranged, Senator Biden spent just over half an hour with the Secretary of State on 31 May. He was accompanied by Ron Woods (Chargé d'Affaires at the US Embassy), Bruce Burton (Minister/Counsellor) and by Brian Kinnear (his
Staffer). The Secretary of State was joined by Roland Smith (NPDD), Christopher Prentice and myself. Discussion covered Northern Ireland, Middle East arms control, renewal of MFN for China and the Soviet Union.
NORTHERN IRELAND
2. Biden, who had just visited Ireland and Northern Ireland, said how much he had enjoyed dinner with Mr Brooke and the night at Hillsborough.
the main purpose of his talks in the Republic and the North had been to inform himself and in the process keep the Senate informed. made the following points:
(a)
(b)
He
He was surprised at how unfazed Haughey was at the rejection of Lord Carrington as Chairman. Faughey had said: tell the Secretary of State (portraying it as Biden's idea) that, unless HMG and the Government of Ireland took hold of the talks and demanded action, nothing was going to happen.
Biden had the impression that the Unionist leaders might not be in synch with their own community; and that, if they were seen as the reason for lack of progress, their standing in that community might suffer. They did not seem sure how much latitude they had, were worried by the extent to which the Republic of Ireland was "prepared to deal", and in consequence spent their time attacking the UK. He detected almost a sense of panic when they had turned down Lord Carrington. Molyneux, with whom he had spent two and a half hours, seemed like a man treading water and running out of steam (Biden's mixed
NB4AAL
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