American woman escapes Saudi Arabia (Sarah Saga)

WorldNetDaily.com ^ | 6/25/2003 | WorldNetDaily.com

[Ready4Freddy]

TROUBLED KINGDOM
American woman escapes Saudi Arabia
Grandmother of kids 'really upset' about how Sarah left Mideast

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Posted: June 25, 2003
2:45 p.m. Eastern

© 2003 WorldNetDaily.com

Sarah Saga, the American woman who was kidnapped as a child, brought to Saudi Arabia and forced to remain in the kingdom, is now in the United States, reports Fox News Channel and the New York Post.

As WorldNetDaily reported, Saga, 23, was kidnapped by her father as a child in 1985 and taken to the kingdom. As has happened with other Americans, Saga was married off to a Saudi and bore her own children. The woman, who claims to have been abused by her father, stepmother and husband, took refuge in the U.S. Consulate in Jeddah on June 15. She pleaded with U.S. officials to help her and her children, age 3 and 5, travel to America. Saga was told, however, that if she left, her Saudi-born children would have to stay in the kingdom.

Saudi law dictates that no woman, American or not, can leave the country without permission of her husband or father.

According to the Post report, Saga's mother, Debbie Dornier, said last night, "She is coming home."

Dornier would not say if her grandchildren, Ibrahim and Hanin, were also traveling to the U.S., telling the paper: "I'm really upset, and Sarah is really upset about the way she had to do it (leave Saudi Arabia).

"I'm not allowed to talk about it."

As WND reported, Saga signed – she says under coercion – a document last week giving up custody of her two young children. Later, however, she declared she would not leave the kingdom without her kids.

Fox News Channel's "Dayside" program has run segments on the story, having Dornier as a guest several times. Today, substitute host Greta Van Susteren announced that regular host Linda Vester was on assignment covering the reunion of Dornier and Saga. Van Susteren did not comment on the status of the children.

According to a Reuters report, Saga met with her Saudi husband in the consulate last weekend.

[Ready4Freddy]

Without the kids, apparently

[Ready4Freddy]

Will look for NYPost article now.

[Ready4Freddy]

U.S. MOM ESCAPES SAUDI CAPTIVITY
By CYNTHIA R. FAGEN
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June 25, 2003 -- The American mom who took refuge with her two children in an American consulate in Saudi Arabia was on her way home to California last night - but it was not clear whether the kids were allowed to leave with her. "She is coming home," Debbie Dornier, the mother of 24-year-old Sarah Saga, told The Post.

Dornier would not discuss the fate of her grandson, Ibrahim, 5, and granddaughter, Hanin, 3, saying only, "I'm really upset, and Sarah is really upset about the way she had to do it [leave Saudi Arabia].

"I'm not allowed to talk about it."

Sarah had been living in Saudi Arabia since she was kidnapped by her Saudi father - who was separated from Dornier - when she went to visit him at age 5.

Dornier went to Saudi Arabia to try to get Sarah back. But she left without her daughter after her ex-husband warned her, "I will slit her throat, and you will never see her again."

Sarah never saw her mother again.

When Sarah was 17, her father arranged a forced marriage between Sarah and a Saudi man, whom she said, "held her prisoner in her house."

She managed to get in touch with her mom three years ago and eventually decided to try to escape with the kids.

Ten days ago, she took the kids and fled into the consulate in Jeddah.

The Saudis said she could leave but the kids would have to stay behind.

A Marine who answered the phone at the consulate last night confirmed Sarah was no longer living there, but said he did not know if she was able to take her children with her.

[JustPiper]

Yes ;(

Please we only have 9 hours until the Senate Hearing, read:

Here

[JustPiper]

An interesting link from a Feminist site:

Family Law & Foreign Policy

[tkathy]

This is no less than slavery.

[JustPiper]

Its horrid, we have a chance today to call the Senators on the panel and our own Senators to encourage them to do something about this and recommend that to the Senate panel.

[darkwing104]

"I'm not allowed to talk about it."

This doesn't sound good, smacks of a custody case gone bad

[Capriole]

In a thousand years, I would never leave without my children. Don't care what the monsters do to me or what kind of life I had to endure. A decent woman does not leave her children at the mercy of Arab men like that.

[darkwing104]

"People should pause to consider the implications of using US foreign policy -- and possibly military -- to override the family law of another nation. They should also look more closely at the facts, which seem foggy to say the least."

I have to agree with Wendy McElroy on this point.

[Ready4Freddy]

Or it could be that they didn't want to let the Saudis know (yet) that they pulled a fast one. Here's hoping......

[darkwing104]

Or it could be that they didn't want to let the Saudis know (yet) that they pulled a fast one. Here's hoping......

Unless they get out by military transport there is a very slim chance for those kids to get by Saudi security. It is a very closed society.

[Ready4Freddy]

The article I posted in #3 is from the NYPost, btw. Nothing new on their ste as yet, and the article is now in the pay archives.

[Ready4Freddy]

Have faxed all the Senators listed on your post, Piper.

Odd that WND has no direct info, seeing as how they are so close to Roush.

[MissAmericanPie]

"I'm not allowed to talk about it."

What the heck does this mean? Seems a statement of the conditions we are in when an American is "not allowed to talk about it".

[AZFolks]

May I put forth a different view without being personally attacked? First, I agree Saudia Arabia is barbaric in its policy concerning women and children kidnapped and forced to live in the Kingdom. However, I believe the woman in question should be allowed to be repatriated but I question why the children without hearing more? I understand she (the American mother) claims to be abused and while I believe this is possible and even probable, the credibility of women claiming "abuse" has declined in my mind over the past decade as I have seen it dishonestly used to destroy good men and shut off any debate about the real issues. Why does the dad of these children have no rights? Why is it a slam dunk the children should be returned to the United States? I need more before I jump on this bandwagon!

[Ready4Freddy]

No State Dept press briefings since 6/23, and no mention of the situation in the WH briefing yesterday.

[darkwing104]

In a thousand years, I would never leave without my children. Don't care what the monsters do to me or what kind of life I had to endure. A decent woman does not leave her children at the mercy of Arab men like that.

Only a loving mother could say and do that. I can respect that.

[Ready4Freddy]

Seems odd to me as well, MAP.

[Ready4Freddy]

With all Sarah knows about leaving kids there (from her mon, Roush, and her own experience), I'd really find it hard to understand how (if) she could leave them there. State Dept said she could stay in consulate as long as she wanted.

Even if she did bring them, it can't be fun looking over your shoulder for the rest of your life, wondering if the father / Saudis are gonna snag the kids. Something tells me that even if the father was arrested at the point of entry that the sentence for parental kidnapping isn't a long one....