"IRAQ is a nice country," says Omar.

"We have oil and agriculture and that is very important. But nobody likes Saddam Hussein."

Omar, who is 41, settled in Britain 16 years ago.

He lived in Kirkuk, in northern Iraq, 70 miles from the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, but he fled when he was called to join the army.

Up until then, he had lived in a pleasant family home with his wife, daughter, mother, uncle and aunt.

He fled to Britain with his wife -- leaving his other relatives, including his daughter, behind.

Now Omar is worried. He said: "It is likely there will be war. A bomb could hit my house and kill my daughter and my mother. It scares me, but there is nothing I can do."

Despite the threat to his loved ones, he believes war is the answer and that Saddam's current Government should be overthrown.

If a new regime was in place, Omar said he would return to Iraq immediately. He added: "My wife and I had good jobs in Iraq. She was a cook and I was a teacher.

"We are a rich country with good resources and I love my country.

"But I want America to attack. The Iraq government is up to no good."

Omar paid 8,000 dollars to travel to Britain. He said he had a torrid time, cramped in the back of a packed wagon as it travelled across Europe and into Britain.

The authorities in Dover granted him asylum and he set up home in Bolton.

He says: "People do not understand but we cannot go back to Iraq because I will be thrown into jail.

"I don't want to be a soldier for Saddam. I want peace."

Omar is not his real name -- he asked us to change it for fear of being identified as having spoken out.