Adams: "We are all sinners"

Adams "regrets" IRA's Manchester bomb

Mr Adams was speaking during an interview to be broadcast on Sunday, the first anniversary of the bomb. Asked by Gloria Hunniford, the presenter of ITV's religious programme Sunday, about his personal feelings, he replied: "I regret not just what happened in Manchester but whatever has happened as a result of the conflict here and the sadness about it all - but particularly about Manchester and Canary Wharf."

Asked what he would say to those who suffered in the bombing, he answered: "I regret that", adding: "That sounds glib, I understand how glib it sounds."

Mr Adams also spoke about the IRA's abandonment of its ceasefire and the future of the peace process. He asserted that there was "an oportunity given to John Major to resolve all of this." Tony Blair, he said, had the capacity to push forward the peace process. He also expressed concern about Orange Order marches: "The difficulty is that next month brings us into the marching season and maybe there are those with a vested interest who don't want to make it (peace talks) happen."

In a more philosophical vein, the Sinn Fein leader said that Jesus would have regarded him as a sinner "because we are all sinners."