U.S. SEEKS SOLUTION TO NATIONALS SEEKING TO LEAVE SAUDI
The United States is trying to negotiate a solution
that would allow American women married to Saudis to leave the
Arabian kingdom.
U.S. officials said the State Department and the U.S. embassy in Riyad
want to enable American women married to Saudi men to leave the kingdom with
their children. Under Saudi law, the husband has
exclusive custody of the children.
The State Department effort took place as two American women sought and
received refuge in the U.S. consulate in Jedda. Both women were said to have
been married to Saudi nationals and sought to leave the kingdom with their
children.
One of the women brought her children to the consulate but officials
said she later left the voluntarily. Later, diplomatic sources
said the woman returned home after the consulate refused to provide asylum
for her children. The sources said Saudi authorities pledged to examine the
issue.
Another woman, identified as Sara Saga, has decided to remain in the
consulate, officials said. They said Ms.Saga decided against leaving Saudi
Arabia when she was unable to take her two children with her to the United
States.
"None of the women who have been granted such permission have chosen to
depart and we keep in regular contact with them," State Department deputy
spokesman Philip Reeker said on Friday. "The commitment, in terms of what
the Saudis have committed, to doesn't extend to children of those women."
Officials said the United States has been unable to obtain permission
for American women married to Saudis to leave with children who are minors.
They said many of these women were married to Saudi students and then moved
to Saudi Arabia.
In April, U.S. Assistant Secretary Maori Hardy held talks in Saudi
Arabia to discuss the freedom of travel by U.S. women married to Saudis.
Officials said the talks were inconclusive.
The State Department effort was prompted by hearings in Congress of U.S.
nationals denied their children when trying to leave Saudi Arabia.
Last year, Congress heard testimony that the U.S. embassy in Riyad did
little to help the American spouses of Saudi men.
"What we are doing is focusing on trying to resolve the issues, trying
to resolve this, these -- what we call freedom of travel disputes that
involve U.S. citizens in Saudi Arabia," Reeker said. "And we are
going to keep up that effort and, at the same time as these individual cases
come along, do what we can to afford protection to American citizens
abroad."