Posted on 12/01/2004 12:52:10 AM PST by kattracks
The forbidden marriage between a handsome young Marine and a gorgeous Arab princess — which sparked headlines and a splashy TV movie — has crashed and burned.Jason Johnson made headlines in 1999 when he smuggled his ravishing teen lover out of the island nation of Bahrain, in the Persian Gulf, and whisked her to Las Vegas for a quickie wedding.
But after their love was feted on "Oprah" and made into a TV movie, the fairytale romance turned to a nightmare.
The groom got booted from the military, the bride narrowly avoided being blown away by a hit man and she then dumped him for the nonstop parties and round-the-clock nightclubs along the Vegas Strip, he said.
Two weeks ago, the two filed for divorce.
[snip]
Johnson was a Marine stationed in Bahrain when he fell for Meriam al-Khalifa, a ravishing teen princess who was part of her island nation's royal family.
He was 23, a Mormon, she 19, a Muslim, and their love had to remain secret.
Johnson sneaked his sweetie back to America aboard a military plane by disguising her with a flannel shirt, Yankees cap and a fake military ID.
[snip]
Johnson was demoted for his bride-smuggling plot and later discharged under the condition he never try to re-enlist.
Meriam's family was furious their daughter, whom they had set for an arranged marriage, wed a Christian.
The FBI foiled an assassination plot against Meriam by intercepting a Syrian national who said he was paid $500,000 by a source he didn't name to kill her.
As tensions mounted, Meriam threw herself into the Vegas nightlife, Johnson said. Last year, she walked out on him.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Kinda what I was thinking. Needs a nose job.
She would not need her hands to hold a ear of corn.
Daddy may fix it the old fashioned Muslim way and just cut her head off. She has brought shame and the family and all.
"As tensions mounted, Meriam threw herself into the Vegas nightlife, Johnson said. Last year, she walked out on him."
Brings to mind the old, post-WWI Broadway show tune by Eddie Cantor:
"How you gonna keep 'em down on the farm,
after they've seen Paree (Paris)?
How you gonna keep 'em away from Broadway,
Jazzing around, and painting the town?"
This poor sucker got what was (inevitably) coming to him.
Hint to the amorously challenged men out there:
Do NOT marry foreign women UNLESS they are from Christian countries (ie Korea, Phillipines, Eastern Europe, AND you have more than a passing knowledge/interest in their culture and are willing to put up with stuff like the old folks coming to live with you - permanently.)
If I EVER do that again, I'll go back to the 'old country' to do it (I speak the language and love the culture so I'd have a leg up.) But patience is a virtue. No need to rush ever again.
Ravishing? She looks like a girl that works down the hall from me. Big fn' deal. With all that dough maybe she would have gotten her nose fixed and her side burns waxed!
Well, she did pass for a man, wearing a flannel shirt and
a yankee ballcap! Yikes!
Gee, what a coincidence... it's been about 5 years.
I think you hit the nail directly on the head here.
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