Item BRINK OF APOCALYPSE 4/6 - Interview with Lord Charles Powell, Foreign Policy Adviser to Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, [2007]

Typescript transcript of interview with Lord Charles Powell, Foreign Policy Adviser to British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher 1979-1991. Subjects include 1983 within the context of Cold War tensions; Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan’s hard line approach to the USSR ; the belief that USSR were trying advance communism throughout the world; the pursuit of Detente; overestimation of USSR’s economic status by the West and Western intelligence; the determination of Thatcher and Reagan to defeat communism; defensive nature of the USSR leadership; Thatcher’s influence over Reagan though it was a meeting of minds; Reagan’s vision of ridding the world of nuclear weapons and Thatcher’s belief that no nuclear weapons in the world was impracticable; Reagan’s 1987 meeting with Mikhail Gorbachov in Reykjavík; Gorbachov’s refusal to let Strategic Defence Initiative (SDI) continue; Early 1980s as low point for USSR and West communication due to the quick succession of Communist Party secretaries; SDI as a defensive measure; British Foreign and Defence ministry opposition to SDI , Thatcher’s support of SDI and the conditions of her support; Thatcher’s support of dialogue with Gorbachov and her work with the next generation of USSR leadership; Thatcher’s reactions to the shooting down of Korean Airlines flight KAL 007 and the British viewing the shooting down as a mistake; USSR paranoia and response to British and American reaction; Thatcher’s indignation at the invasion of Grenada as there was lack of consultation or warning from Reagan; Thatcher’s concerns about international law; the likelihood of the USSR making the first nuclear strike; Powell’s meeting with Andre Gromyko; Powell’s recollections of Able Archer and Thatcher’s non role in Able Archer; intelligence into USSR leadership; the role of Oleg Gordievsky as a MI6 source within the KGB, initial reaction to Andropov becoming General Secretary. 33pp