HJS Event: Talking to Terrorists

The peace agreement in Northern Ireland is now held up as a beacon for conflict resolution around the world. The 'lessons of Ulster' have been applied by prime ministers, presidents, diplomats and intelligence agencies to numerous areas of violent conflict, including Spain, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Afghanistan and Iraq.
 
On the basis of the British experience in Northern Ireland, it is now widely argued that talking to terrorists is a pre-requisite for peace, and that governments should avoid rigid pre-conditions in their attempts to bring extremists into the political process. The British Foreign Office has revived contacts with Hezbollah and many suggest that it is now time to 'engage' with Hamas and the Taleban. But does this understanding really reflect how peace was brought to Northern Ireland? And can it be applied to other areas where democratic governments face threats from terrorist organisations?
 
In challenging this idea, the authors of "Talking to Terrorists: Making Peace in Northern Ireland and the Basque Country" suggest that what really matters is not the act of talking to terrorists itself, but a range of other variables including the role of state actors, intelligence agencies, hard power and the wider democratic process. In some cases, talking can do more harm than good. But above all, there is a crucial difference between talking to terrorists who believe that their strategy is succeeding and engaging with those who have been made to realise that their aims are unattainable by violence.
 
By kind invitation of The Rt Hon John Spellar MP, the Henry Jackson Society is pleased to be able to invite you to a discussion on Talking to Terrorists, by Dr John Bew, Dr Martyn Frampton and Iñgo Gurrachaga. The speakers will compare the history of the transition from war to peace in Northern Ireland, with a study of the violent conflict in the Basque country over the same period in order to demonstrate how events have developed differently from how many advocates of 'the Northern Ireland model' have suggested, and what policy-makers should learn from this.

DATE: Wednesday 17th June 2009

TIME: 1-2pm

VENUE: Committee Room 5, House of Commons  

To attend, please RSVP to jonathan.rider@henryjacksonsociety.org

Dr John Bew is Lecturer in Modern British History, Harris Fellow and Director of Studies at Peterhouse, Cambridge. John's research interests cover a range of areas including British intellectual history, national identity and foreign policy, and the relationship between Britain and Ireland. He has appeared on television and radio for the BBC, CNN and Newstalk 101 and his research has been referred in a range of broadsheets, including The Sunday Times, Financial Times, Haaretz, Jerusalem Post, Irish Independent and Sunday Tribune.

Dr Martyn Frampton is a Research Fellow at Peterhouse, Cambridge. He was educated at Jesus College, Cambridge, where he took a Starred First in History. He also holds an MPhil in International Relations and a doctorate in History. His academic interests include Modern European, British and Irish history and terrorism.

Iñigo Gurruchaga is the London correspondent for the Basque daily, El Correo.