Inconceivable' Gerry Adams was not involved in IRA bombings, claims former British army commander

"In respect of the PIRA bomb attacks carried out in England that I understand these proceedings relate to (being the Old Bailey bomb in 1973 and the Docklands and Manchester bombings in 1996), they would have all required signoff from the army council. This very high-profile activity simply could not have been carried out without the council's knowledge and approval."

"It is inconceivable, in my view and based on my knowledge of the PIRA and the intelligence I had access to, that Adams would not have been involved in this process and its ultimate authorisation."

"I saw intelligence and was briefed on intelligence for a period of around 20 years, which made it clear that Mr Adams was in the IRA. I think it is inconceivable that intelligence that was not correct would have been so consistent over such a long period."

In a high court civil case, three IRA bombing victims are suing Gerry Adams for symbolic damages, alleging he was an IRA member and sat on its army council. Former British army commander Richard Kemp testified that major IRA bombings in England, including the 1973 Old Bailey attack and 1996 Docklands and Manchester bombings, would have required army council authorization. Kemp stated it was inconceivable Adams was not involved in approving these operations based on intelligence spanning 20 years. However, under cross-examination, Kemp conceded he had no direct evidence of Adams's specific role and acknowledged intelligence could be unreliable or sourced from political adversaries.

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