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Mother Who Left Children in Saudi Arabia Testifies

(Washington Times) Sarah Waheed Saga, who was herself kidnapped by her Saudi father and taken to Saudi Arabia as a child, told the House Government Reform subcommittee on wellness and human rights Wednesday that three U.S. consular officers in Jidda stood by as Saudi government officials insisted she sign a document waiving all custody rights to her 5-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter if she left the country. "Nobody at all talked to me about my legal rights," she said. Subcommittee Chairman Dan Burton (R-Ind.) called Mrs. Saga's case a "tragedy" and said it was only the latest in a series of bitter disputes with Saudi Arabia in child-abduction and disputed custody cases. Saudi Arabia has refused to sign an international convention on child-abduction disputes, he said. "We continue to foster a relationship with a country that abuses not only its own citizens but American citizens as well," said Rep. Diane Watson (D-Cal.)
2003-07-11 00:00:00
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