Bill Clinton: “of the United Kingdom by David Frost of the British Broadcasting Corporation in Weston-under-Lizard, United Kingdom May…”

“of the United Kingdom by David Frost of the British Broadcasting Corporation in Weston-under-Lizard, United Kingdom May 16, 1998 Northern Ireland Peace Process Mr. Frost. Mr. Prime Minister, Mr. President, it's a great joy to be talking. And let's begin on the subject that's on everybody's minds today, the subject of Northern Ireland. The vote may be more perilously close than was hoped a week or 2 ago. What is your message that each of you have right now to persuade doubting Unionists or doubting Catholics to persuade? How would you both begin? Prime Minister Blair. I think it's in many ways a battle between fear and emotion on the one hand and reason and hope on the other. And the fear and the emotion is totally understandable, but it is important that people vote for reason and hope. And I say that because people ask me for reassurances on certain of the key items of the agreement. They say, ``Reassure us that the IUC is not going to be disbanded or stop being a proper police force.'' I give that reassurance. That will be plain. I give the reassurance, the absolute commitment that, if the cross- community provisions in the agreement to exclude people from office if they engage in violence, if those don't work, then they will be changed. That will be in the legislation.…”