'We're not human shields, but we'll stay through the bombing'

They have been accused of naivety and vilified as traitors, but for Kathy Kelly and her colleagues in Voices in the Wilderness, that is something which comes with the territory.

Many of them have suffered far worse than abuse in their years of campaigning for peace. Ms Kelly, who founded the group, spent a year in a maximum security prison in Lexington, Kentucky, in 1988 for repeatedly trespassing on to a nuclear missile site. She currently faces a $10,000 (£6,300) fine for breaking sanctions regulations.

Now members of her group intend to stay in Iraq for the next few critical months, during which a war may begin. They have inevitably become known as "human shields" who position themselves at bombing targets, in the hope of deterring American and British warplanes.

"It is not a term we have ever used ourselves, but it has caught on," said Ms Kelly, a 50-year-old teacher from Chicago who is on her 17th visit to Iraq. "I am not sure the Iraqi authorities will allow us into their sites to become shields, even if we wanted to. But we do feel it is important to show solidarity with the people of Iraq. If this means we have to stay here during the bombing, then it has to be done."

Members of Voices have been involved in most of the causes célèbres in the human rights field, from South Africa to Chile, Nicaragua and Palestine. It is not difficult to see why they make easy targets for the hawks in Washington and London, who sneer at them as do-gooders and cranks.

The most common accusation is that they have failed to criticise Saddam and his brutal rule while attacking the West. Their mere presence in Iraq, say critics, is sanctioning the regime. "Our view is that there are plenty of channels for opinions about Saddam and the rulers of Iraq to be expressed," said Ms Kelly.

"We want to concentrate on the terrible effect the economic war is having on Iraq and how the country will be devastated if the US and Britain decide to attack."