A retired British Army officer has told the trial of Gerry Adams in London it was "inconceivable" that he was not involved in IRA decisions to bomb London and Manchester in 1996 because he was a member of the organisation's ruling Army Council at the time.
The former Sinn Féin leader is being sued in a civil action in the High Court in London by three victims of separate IRA bomb attacks in 1973 and 1996 who claim he was directly responsible.
He has repeatedly denied ever being a member of the IRA.
Former Colonel Richard Kemp served seven tours in Northern Ireland between 1979 and 2001, including working as a military intelligence officer from 1992 to 1994.
He also worked for the Joint Intelligence Committee within the UK Cabinet Office from 2002 to 2005 and was responsible for strategic intelligence assessment relating to Northern Ireland terrorism.
In a witness statement, Mr Kemp said he had been privy to a lot of detailed intelligence information about the former Sinn Fein leader’s "historic and current activities in PIRA [Provisional Irish Republican Army]".
He said British Army intelligence "explicitly named the defendant as part of the PIRA hierarchy and as a member of the Army Council and noted his presence at Army Council meetings".
Based on the available intelligence, he said it was his understanding "that any bomb attacks on the British mainland would have required sign off by the Army Council, of which the defendant was a member".
The statement adds: "That included the 1996 bombings in Docklands and Manchester."
It also refers to "Sinn Féin’s campaign of violence towards the British state".
Questioned about the statement by a lawyer representing Mr Adams, he told the court he regarded Sinn Féin and the IRA as "pretty much the same" and "working hand in glove".
Ex-IRA member tells court Gerry Adams was in organisation
A former IRA member who served 14 years in prison for a letter bomb campaign in London in the early 1970s has told a civil action trial in the High Court in the UK that Gerry Adams was a member of the organisation.
Mr Adams, who is a former Louth TD and West Belfast MP, is being sued in a civil action in the High Court in London by three victims of IRA bomb attacks who claim he was directly responsible for what happened to them.
Shane Paul O'Doherty, who describes himself as a former explosives officer for the IRA’s Derry Brigade, is one of the witnesses called by those taking the legal action.
In response to questions this morning from Edward Craven KC, who is representing Mr Adams, Mr O'Doherty confirmed that he had published 145 social media blogs that were critical of the former Sinn Féin leader over the past nine years.
He confirmed that those posts included references to Mr Adams as "King Rat" and "one of Ireland’s most prolific serial killers".
Mr O’Doherty rejected a suggestion that he had agreed to be a witness in the trial as part of a long running campaign against Mr Adams, saying he had no personal animosity towards him.
"I am concerned with the absence of truth," he said. "I’m here in support of victims; there is no other reason."
The court heard that in his witness statement, Mr O'Doherty alleged that Mr Adams had "a command and control role in the IRA".
Mr Adams denies that he had any role in the Provisional IRA and is opposing the claim.
Mr O'Doherty confirmed that he had never personally met Mr Adams, had never spoken to him or attended a meeting that he attended, and that the first time he was in the same room as him was when he began giving evidence in courtroom 16 of the Royal Courts of Justice yesterday.
Victims' campaigner says Adams civil action about 'accountability'
A Northern Ireland victims' campaigner said the civil action being taken against former Sinn Féin leader Mr Adams is an important step for accountability.
Kenny Donaldson, who is chair of the South East Fermanagh Foundation (SEFF), which represents families of victims of republican and loyalist paramilitaries, spoke outside the court this morning.
He is in London with a number of victims of IRA attacks in Britain to attend an event at Westminster to mark European Remembrance Day For Victims of Terrorism.
"I think people are gathered here because they do take some encouragement that there's three victims based in Great Britain who have suitability felt empowered to bring forward this case," he said.
"This case isn't about anyone going to prison, it isn't about, indeed, finance.
"It's about accountability. And for many people, they see Gerry Adams as being inextricably linked to what has happened in terms of our Troubles, particularly the provisional republican, so when standing with these victims of survivors this morning, it's about acknowledgement of all of that," Mr Donaldson said.
Adding: "He [Adams] was a very divisive character over the years of the Troubles. Because someone is 77 years of age now, doesn't give anyone a free pass."
