A former US attorney general and a former UN weapons inspector are to give evidence this week at the trial in Co Clare of anti-war activist, Ms Mary Kelly.
Mr Ramsey Clarke, former US attorney general and former US ambassador to the United Nations and Mr Scott Ritter, former UN chief weapons inspector have both agreed to give evidence for Ms Kelly at her trial which opens in the Circuit Court in Kilrush, Co Clare, today.
Ms Kelly, a member of the Irish Anti-War Movement is charged with causing criminal damage to a US Navy aircraft at Shannon airport in January.
Mr Clarke, who is due to give evidence on Wednesday, has written and spoken extensively against US policy in Iraq and he said the recent war violated international law.
Similarly, since his resignation from the UN weapons inspections team five years ago, Mr Ritter has been one of the most outspoken critics of the current US administration's policies against Baghdad.
Before the war he said the US "seemed on the verge of an historic mistake" adding, "my government is making a case for war against Iraq that is built upon fear and ignorance".
Ms Kelly asked the two men to give evidence at her trial about two weeks ago.
Mr Richard Boyd-Barrett, spokesman for the Irish Anti-War Movement, said the intention was to effectively make Ms Kelly's trial a political one.
"The intention is that these men will go through the arguments against the war and show why the war itself was illegal, why the action Mary took was not criminal and to show that in fact the Irish Government, in allowing US military land at Shannon, was acting illegally."
He said it was "fantastic" that Mr Ritter and Mr Clarke had agreed to come to Ireland. It showed how important an issue the Government's role in the recent war was.
Mr Clarke and Mr Ritter will address public meetings in Ennis on Wednesday and in Galway on Thursday.
