The British Role in US-French Security Cooperation, 1978-1987

Abstract

The threat of IRA terrorist attacks on French soil in the early 1980s necessitated the start of in-depth bilateral discussions between Britain and France concerning issues of counter-terrorism. France was initially reluctant to engage with Britain on these matters due to Paris’ concern that Britain would exert pressure to expand cooperation with the United States, and refused to budge from the position of cooperation only within the EEC once bilateral dialogues began. As terrorist attacks increased in France throughout the summer of 1986, the French government decided to take drastic counter-terrorist measures which angered many of their European neighbours. However, Britain’s firm support for French action had the effect of increasing British influence over France’s rather ineffective counter-terrorism policy, which in turn allowed London to apply more pressure on Paris to agree to wider consultations with Washington. Unable to resist British pressure further - particularly after the faux-pas over the Hindawi Affair - the French government in May 1986 finally decided to conduct deeper consultations on counter-terrorism issues with the United States and the other G7 nations, which resulted in the Statement on Terrorism at the G7 Summit in Venice in June 1987.