There is a great deal of concern in this country, and particularly in this area with its Duke of Wellington connections, for the troops who are serving in Iraq. They are regarded as legitimate targets by Iraqis who resent their presence and particularly by the insurgents who are doing their worst to ensure that the situation remains woefully unstable six weeks after the elections which were supposed to establish democratic rule.

But in an even worse plight are the ordinary Iraqis, caught in the middle of this struggle. Almost two years after the premature rejoicing which accompanied the fall of Saddam Hussein, they seem to have exchanged one nightmare for another, even worse one.

A grim reminder of that comes with the heartfelt plea from Bradford teenager Maha Mezher for Tony Blair and George Bush to do more to save the country her parents left 20 years ago from the lawlessness into which it has descended. There are no official figures on the deaths of Iraqi civilians, but it is believed thousands have died in terrorist attacks and kidnappings.

Among them were Maha's uncle and ten-year-old cousin, kidnapped in Baghdad and held for ransom but murdered before the money could be handed over. The terrible reality is that their story is unremarkable in the Iraq of 2005.

No doubt Tony Blair and George Bush are well-enough aware of the huge obstacles which stand in the way of establishing the rule of law in Iraq. However, Maha's appeal is a reminder to all of us of how urgent it is to find a way around them for the sake of the ordinary, suffering people of that country.