Home > Newsletter > September 2002

AMERICANS TRAPPED IN SAUDI ARABIA

On August 27th the Wall Street Journal editorial blasted the treatment of American citizens in Saudi Arabia, notably women. On that day President George W. Bush was to meet with Prince Bandar, the Saudi Arabian ambassador to the United States. The Journal editorial requested that the President bring up the issue of dozens if not hundreds of Americans in Saudi Arabia who want to leave but can't under Saudi law.

"Specifically Mr. Bush might ask whether the Saudis are serious about freeing Amjad Radwan, a U. S. citizen, or just jerking America's chain again," said the Journal. Ms. Radwan has asked numerous times to leave Saudi Arabia, but no woman, not even an adult woman who is not a Saudi, can leave without male permission.

Indiana Republican Dan Burton left that same day for "the Kingdom" where he planned on pursuing the case of Ms. Radwan. Even he wants to be politically correct and stated the case may have "problems". Not for the Wall Street Journal. They simply called her on the phone and asked her if she wanted out and she said "yes." She further stated that she "just wants to be free."

The Journal also pointed out the widely published case of Pat Roush whose children were kidnapped to Saudi Arabia in 1986. The two daughters may have been forced into marriage. Mrs. Roush can't even find out if she has grandchildren in this horrid closed society we call our best friend in the Gulf.

But these are only a few cases out of dozens. Thousands of Western women have been taken to Saudi Arabia to vanish, with their families never hearing word of them again. Then there are the children taken by male relatives who vanish. Lastly there are the foreign workers who are arrested by the secret police and never heard from again.