SINCE the 1997 General Election campaign, Fran Richman has been dubbed Worcester Woman.

In a regular feature, she discusses her thoughts on recent developments in the war in Iraq.

"The shocking incident of the two British soldiers, who were apparently executed, really does show Saddam Hussein's true colours.

(Iraq denies Luke Allsopp and Simon Cullingworth were executed.

Both were members of 33 (EOD) Engineer Regiment, a specialist bomb disposal unit of the Royal Engineers, based at Carver Barracks, Wimbish, Essex.

The pair had been listed as missing in action since their vehicle came under an attack on a British convoy near the southern city of Basra on Sunday.)

"In war there are codes of conduct which should be followed and Tony Blair was exactly right when he described the depravity of the act."

"You could see how much it affected Tony Blair when he was speaking yesterday, and it seemed to give him a more steely-eyed determination.

"To me, Saddam's action just confirmed the theme of death in Iraq - and not just troops in the war. He has killed the spirit of the innocent Iraqi people and has turned the country into a wasteland.

"Recent pictures of soldiers in the mud of Iraq and comparisons with the First World War and the Somme seemed to resonate closely with the TS Eliot poem, The Wasteland."

"It ends 'We who were living are now dying, with a little patience' and these are key themes.

"It is, of course, open to interpretation but today it sums up the ravages of the land and death of people's spirit under Saddam, with patience required to rebuild the mindset and soul of the country after the war."