At Jebel-kahar and west of Traras, Pomel attributes certain conglomerates, red sandstones and purple and green shales to the Permian.

Mr Kahar was insistent that the gunshot was not a mistake.

Kahar says few women now dare walk the streets of Baghdad without wearing a veil.

I am beginning to doubt whether my memories of Iraq were not just dreams, Kahar said.

Mr Kahar said he had been severely traumatised since the raid and was unable to sleep, frequently enduring flashbacks.

Kahar says this breed of artists and intellectuals, once highly respected, is becoming extinct in an Arab World which is turning more Islamic.

For Kahar, one of the tragic consequences of the post- invasion upheaval is the degradation of women and the erosion of their rights.

Under persistent questioning from reporters as to whether he supported militant Muslim groups, Mr Kahar described himself as an ordinary Briton who loved his country.