Though Thamir Yasen fears for the safety of his family, the Iraqi is hoping that war will bring democracy back to his homeland by deposing its leader.

A DOCTOR from Iraq, who works as an eye surgeon at Swindon's Great Western Hospital, today said that military action is the only way to bring democracy to his homeland.

As the US and UK set out to depose Saddam Hussein, consultant ophthalmic surgeon Thamir Yasen, 52, has been awaiting the outcome with a mixture of concern and anticipation.

Mr Yasen said: "I still have quite a few members of my family, including three of my brothers and two sisters living over there in Baghdad and I am still in contact with them.

"I am obviously fearful for them - it is a brutal regime that they are living under. If anyone speaks out of line, their lives are at risk.

"I am very concerned for their well being and I hope that ordinary Iraqis are not hurt in any invasion.

"My wish is that the US and British forces will do their best to damage only military targets."

But fear for his family is mingled with his hope that military action may free the people of Iraq from what he believes to be the controlling grip of the Iraqi regime.

"I believe that Iraq would be far better off without Saddam," he said. " It would be the best thing to happen to this country it he were removed or gave up his power.

"Iraq is only a small country. Why does it need biological or nuclear weapons. Saddam works for no one but himself. It is my real hope that the people of Iraq will be set free."

Mr Yasen is still in regular contact with members of his family who live in Baghdad, but he said: "To be honest they cannot give me any greater insight into recent events I can find out monitoring events in the press."

With tension in the region increasing over the last few weeks, Mr Yasen even took the step of writing to the Prime Minister Tony Blair to volunteer his services both as a translator and a doctor. But he has yet to be taken up on his offer.

Mr Yasen trained as a doctor at Baghdad Medical School during the 1970s before emigrating to England in 1979.

Although he has not returned to Iraq since he left 30 years ago, he still holds dual nationality and hopes to be able to return to his home one day.

He now lives in Swindon and has five grown up children.

N Mr Yasen, who has worked for Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust for four years, is in charge of a medical team which has managed to cut waiting times for cataract operations from an 18 month wait three years ago to just three or four weeks now.

The turnaround has been made possible thanks to a package of extra funding from Swindon Primary Care Group which has helped to pay for Saturday and Sunday sessions at Westbury NHS Community Hospital.

Saddam Hussein became president in 1979, when he became head of the ruling Ba'ath party.

In 1980, he led his country into war with Iran, with the support of the United States after an Islamic revolution brought an elderly cleric, Ayatollah Khomeini to power.

It was during this conflict that Saddam first used chemical weapons. The war ended in 1988 in stalemate, after claiming the lives of thousands of troops on both sides.

Military experts believe that he was only months away from developing a nuclear weapon when the Israeli air force destroyed the French-built Osirak reactor in 1981.

After the Iran-Iraq war, Saddam continued to push the development of nuclear chemical and biological weapons to exert more influence in the middle east.

In August 1990, Kuwait invaded and occupied neighbouring Kuwait in a bid to profit from its vast oil reserves.

But the United Nations responded by authorising military action to oust the Iraqis from Kuwait.

For the last 12 years, Saddam has continued to rebuild his army.

And according to British and US governments, he has tried to acquire and develop weapons of mass destruction.

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