Former Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams has told his High Court defamation case against the BBC that he was not there to "justify every action of the IRA".
Mr Adams made his remarks during the first day of his cross-examination in the civil action he is taking against the BBC.
Mr Adams alleges he was defamed in a 2016 Spotlight programme and a subsequent online article, which he says falsely claimed that he sanctioned the killing of former senior Sinn Féin official Denis Donaldson.
Mr Donaldson was shot dead in 2006, months after admitting being an informer for the police and MI5 over two decades.
Mr Adams has denied any involvement in the killing.
This afternoon, Paul Gallagher SC, representing the BBC started questioning Mr Adams and began by asking him about the number of people who died in the Troubles and about atrocities in the early 1970s.
Mr Adams said his brother-in-law was shot by the British army, his "young cousin was picked up by loyalist death squads and left butchered".
His said his own home was bombed and that there was still a threat against him.
He also said he could not be expected to remember each at every one of the various killings and at a couple of points during the proceedings, Mr Adams said: "What’s this got to do with Denis Donaldson?"
During some exchanges, Mr Adams said Mr Gallagher SC was "trivialising" the deaths he was highlighting.
Mr Adams was also asked about meeting British officials in 1972, saying he attended as a Sinn Féin representative.
He was asked if he knew that another person there, Dáithí Ó Conaill, was a member of the Provisional IRA.
"I cannot answer that question," Mr Adams said, saying that he and Mr Ó Conaill were there as Sinn Féin representatives.
Mr Adams said when republicans meet and have the opportunity to bring about an end to the conflict, "you don’t spend your time" asking "are you a member of the IRA?"
He said he was ‘very surprised’ to find himself in that position but said he did not spend a lot of time on why he had been chosen.
Mr Gallagher put it to him that if the British government were attempting to get a cessation of violence then it would be very important that they talk to people who could deliver that.
"I’ve already given you my answer to those type of questions," Mr Adams replied.
Mr Gallagher also put it to Mr Adams that in his book he describes people as "republicans", but almost never as members of the IRA.
"I am a republican," said Mr Adams, "is there anything wrong with that?"
At one point he was asked if Martin McGuinness was a member of the IRA. "I can’t answer that," Mr Adams said.
Later, Mr Adams said he comes from a view that the IRA was entitled to use armed action but did not agree with it all.
"I wouldn’t agree everything the IRA did," he said, saying he fully understood the consequences of violence. ‘I’ve been to many funerals," he said.
He said the big regret was that so many civilians were killed.
He said he denounced and condemned IRA action when he felt it was appropriate, when civilians and non-combatant were injured.
He also said: "I’m not here to justify every action of the IRA."
At one point, Mr Gallagher told Mr Adams that he had legal representation in court and if he felt that irrelevant questions were being asked, then his counsel would intervene.
Mr Adams said that he lived in Belfast and "moves among" those who have suffered in the conflict and that it was not fair that 20 years after the IRA ceasefire and the Good Friday Agreement, they should hear him say he might not remember certain incidents.
He also said successive Irish governments "abandoned" the people of the North and refused to deal with him and "others like me".
This was fourth day of the case and Mr Adams’ fourth day in the witness box.
The case continues next Tuesday.
