Thing is Jet, had he said "I condemn IRA actions, as I condemn all bombings"... I'm not sure that WOULD have been enough for many listeners nor for the host who was asking in this case. He would have taken flak for including the caveat. The interviewer was pressing for a "no strings" answer, just a flat "I condemn the IRA" with no nuanced elaboration. His interviewing style was agenda driven and pressing / bullying for a manipulated statement and so that's why I too would have been very tempted to hang up on the guy. Even if in my head I was thinking "well of course I condemn those actions"... I would absolutely not want to cave and "give the guy what he wanted". Frankly... I think he was a bad interviewer and too personally invested in the question to whittle out a real answer.
But yes, he's a politician giving politicians answers and as you know those can't be taken at face value... But that also doesn't mean you can assume the truth either way? I genuinely couldn't tell you either way what his hand-on-heart honest personal feelings about the IRA bombings are because the answers he gives are pure politics... But that's no different from ANY politician. I mean, look at all of the politicians who vehemently denounce middle eastern terrorism by day and then sell them guns and bombs under the table
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