Speeches, etc.

Margaret Thatcher

TV Interview for ITN (British hostages in the Lebanon)

Document type: Speeches, interviews, etc.
Venue: Imperial War Museum, Blackfriars, South London
Source: ITN Archive: OUP transcript
Editorial comments: Between 0900 and 1100.
Importance ranking: Minor
Word count: 277
Themes: Foreign policy (Middle East), Terrorism
First question missing.

MT

We view them very seriously. We have always thought of our hostages day by day. We keep a small staff in the Lebanon around our embassy and their main task is to see if they can find out anything about our hostages. We are always concerned for their safety. When we went to the economic summit seven of us appealed for the release of all hostages, and again President Bush has done that. And we watch the situation almost hourly.

Journalist

Is there any further pressure you can put on Israel to release Sheikh Obeid?

MT

No, I think we're just trying by every diplomatic means possible to do all we can for the hostages. It's terrible hostages are ever taken, terrible.

Journalist

By whatever means.

MT

It's terrible of course, because they take no part in civilisation, but we are first concerned obviously for their safety.

Journalist

And for the British families?

MT

Oh, goodness me, the British families will be going through agony. Of course they will. And we keep in touch with them. Of course they will. Because it is astonishing. People cannot realise that the most powerful nation in the world, the United States and her partners in NATO, we just … we just can't find them. And Lebanon, as you know, is a battlefield, and three of the Arab nations are trying to bring about a peace settlement, and let us hope they will be successful.

Journalist

Thank you, Prime Minister.