But Adams insisted that when it came to a moral accounting of violence, the IRA should be held to the same standard as the British state. ‘In any war situation, civilians unfortunately suffer and die,’ he pointed out. ‘The presence of the gun in Irish politics is not the sole responsibility of the Irish. The British were responsible for putting it there in the first place and they continue to use it to stay in Ireland.’ He added, ‘No amount of voting papers alone will get them out.’
