Interviewer
Mrs. Thatcher, have you any comment on the shooting of Sir Peter Terry?
Prime Minister
I was utterly appalled and deeply grieved.
The IRA now seem to be going for people who are defenceless at the time when they are attacked. It is thoroughly cowardly and we shall have to consider how we can strengthen even further our defences against them. It is a wicked, evil thing to do.
(2)Thatcher Archive: COI transcriptPrime Minister
… . It is wicked and evil and we are closely in touch to see how Mr. and Mrs. Terry are.
Interviewer
What about the wider implication of … . security? We have had rather a spate of …
Prime Minister
Again, we will have to look once again at that. The numbers of things that are happening now make it important that we look once again to see if there is anything further we can do to step up security and defences against this guerrilla warfare.
Interviewer
Why do you call it “guerrilla warfare” ?
Prime Minister
Because they are at war with us and we can only fight them with the civil law, so they are acting under what they regard as rules of war and we are acting with the ordinary law of the land. It is the action of terrorism. [end p1]
Interviewer
Is the law of the land enough therefore? Are you implying that it is not enough?
Prime Minister
We cannot in fact do more under the law of the land than we are doing. The question is whether we can do any more for protection. The question is also whether we can assure ourselves that the Republic is doing all it can to track down terrorists, their sources of weaponry and their stores of weapons.