A British man said last night he was determined to travel to Baghdad - despite the threat of imminent war - to find the 19-month-old daughter he has never seen.
Michael Todd, from York, is travelling to Iraq via Jordan in the next two weeks to look for 19-month-old Sajida.
Mr Todd, who clutched a photo of his daughter with the caption "don't kill my daughter" written in Arabic by her Iraqi mother, said he knew the dangers but believed he had no choice.
He was praying that bombing does not start, and his message to Prime Minister Tony Blair and US President George Bush was: "Don't bomb my daughter."
Mr Todd, 33, a street entertainer and writer, started a relationship with Sajida's mother, Abla, 32, in 2000, when she was a student in Leeds. But soon after she discovered she was pregnant she disappeared, despite the couple's plans to marry.
Once back in Iraq, Abla contacted Mr Todd through her sister, giving details about baby Sajida.
Now she has written a series of letters telling of her fears of both the possibility of war and the anger she has faced from members of her family outraged at her having had a baby with him.
In her last letter, posted in January, she said: "There is big danger. Do not come as I think your life will be in big risk.
"Still I want be your wife but . . . ?
Later she adds: "Goodbye. But I pray you love us enough."
Mr Todd said last night: "I have to go. There's nothing stronger than a love for a child and I just need to find them both. I just want to see my daughter.
"If it's best to bring them home and I can, then I will. But if I have to stay there, I'll learn Arabic and I'll stay there.
"I have to do this. If I die, I die, but at least I've tried."
Mr Todd said he did not know exactly where Sajida and Abla were because some of her relatives had taken a strict line against her and she has had to move around. She might be in hiding, he said.
He also feared that his daughter might even have been taken from her mother and placed in an orphanage.
But Abla's letters gave him some clues to begin his search.
Mr Todd, who is twice divorced, said his ten-year-old son Lex, was scared for him. Nevertheless, he felt he had to go.
He has booked a plane ticket to Jordan and planned to travel the rest of the way either by taxi or by air.
"I just want to say to Mr Bush and Mr Blair, don't bomb my daughter," he said.
"I am a pacifist and I don't want to see any children hurt. I think it's wrong."
Mr Todd added: "I still hope we can get married and live as a family, whatever happens.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article