The US government presented a strong case against three men from Northern Ireland on the opening day of their trial. They are charged with conspiracy to murder and maim and with sending concealed weapons through the mail from south Florida for use in Northern Ireland.
The Assistant US Attorney, Ms Stephanie Pell, yesterday set out the case against the defendants, Mr Conor Claxton, Mr Anthony Smyth and Mr Martin Mullan.
Mr Claxton is from Belfast; Mr Smyth is also from Belfast but has been living for about 11 years in Florida. Mr Mullan is from Dunloy, Co Antrim.
The three were arrested in the US on July 26th, 1999, and have been in custody since. A fourth defendant, Ms Siobhan Browne, has pleaded guilty to lesser charges and will be sentenced later.
Ms Pell said Mr Claxton admitted after his arrest that he was a member of the Provisional IRA. He indicated that he had lost confidence in the Northern Ireland peace process and was "sent by higher-ups, specifically to get guns," according to Ms Pell.
She said there would be evidence that the financing of the purchase of more than 100 guns, including AK assault rifles and powerful sniper rifles, came "entirely from Belfast".
It was clear, she said, that the weapons were not destined "to kill rabbits in Northern Ireland", but people.
She said Mr Claxton had told the FBI that the guns were to be used to kill members of the RUC and Protestant paramilitaries. She said Mr Claxton had "lost faith" in the peace process.
Ms Pell said: "His belief in the peace process had failed. The weapons were to murder and maim in Northern Ireland."
The attorneys for the three defendants then asked for a mistrial, claiming that the reference to not wanting peace was "inflammatory" and would prejudice the jury.
Judge Wilkie Ferguson - who has said he does not want it to be a "political trial" - denied the motion, and the defending lawyers then began their opening statement.
One of the defence counsel said the Provisional IRA was no longer on the list of the State Department as a designated terrorist organisation, so the prosecution's claim that the weapons were for use by the IRA should not be allowed.
Mr Fred Haddad, who represents Mr Claxton, and Mr Daniel McElhatton, who represents Mr Mullan, expressed indignation outside the courtroom at the presentation of the case against their clients. They said that by claiming their clients were "against peace" the prosecution had introduced politics into the case.
Mr Haddad said that "what it boils down to is that everything they [the prosecution] said is ridiculous. They do not have the slightest idea of the history."
Mr McElhatton said that he was now ready to go fully into the Good Friday agreement and 800 years of Irish history if necessary in his defence of Mr Mullan.
The trial resumes today and may last up to six weeks.