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CNN Live Today

Interview With Debbie Dornier, Sarah Saga

Aired July 10, 2003 - 10:53   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Our next story this morning is about the heart-wrenching decision that one mother faced. A Saudi Arabian woman was allowed to leave the country where she says she that was held against her will for the past 18 years, but she had to leave behind her children with their father, who happened to be a Saudi national.
We're joined now by that woman. She is Sarah Saga. And her mother is also joining us. Her mother is Debbie Dornier and she joining us from Washington as well.

Thanks for coming in and talking to us about this. As I understand it, first of all, let me set the stage here, now, Debbie, how was it that you became separated here from Sarah?

DEBBIE DORNIER, MOTHER: In our divorce settlement, he wanted to take her back to Saudi Arabia to live, and keep her from me at age 3. And I was able to negotiate a compromise where he could take her to visit each summer. But on one of those visits, he didn't return her.

HARRIS: OK, and so then, Sarah, you therefore grew up or lived for some 18 years in Saudi Arabia?

SARAH SAGA, DAUGHTER WHO FLED: Yes.

HARRIS: And you married a Saudi?

SAGA: Yes.

HARRIS: And then you had children? But at some point after 18 years, what was it that made you decide that it was time for you to reunite with your mother Debbie here and come back to the U.S.?

SAGA: Well my life there was so hard. And actually, when I had my daughter she awakened a lot of things inside me as a mother, and -- well I, for 18 years I couldn't see my mother or even hold a picture of her. And so that was so hard on me.

And so I just decided to see my mom. And nobody helped me into, you know, going to somewhere seeing her. But so I figured out that my only way is to come here and live with my mom, with my children.

HARRIS: But you couldn't bring the children out?

SAGA: No, I couldn't.

HARRIS: Now you went to the U.S. embassy, is that correct? What happened there?

SAGA: Consulate. I went to the U.S. consulate in Jeddah and I took my children with me. I had so much hope that my children will, you know, come we with me. But there wasn't much help from the government or from the Saudi government for the children. And they couldn't leave unless their father gave the permission for them to leave. So I had no choice.

DORNIER: You see, Leon, she couldn't leave the consulate, because if she did her father would kill her for having gone there in the first place.

HARRIS: You know that for a fact?

DORNIER: Oh, yes, even his family agrees there's no doubt he would. He had threatened her 18 years before that if I ever tried to get her out, he would slit her out rather than let her come back.

HARRIS: So you never then tried to get her out over those 18 years?

DORNIER: I tried to work through the government, I tried to work through legal system here. But what happens is that because of our rights, you have to notify the other party. And if I had notified him, I would run the risk of him killing her. So I ended up having to wait and pray that things would change.

HARRIS: So, Sarah...

DORNIER: When Internet entered Saudi Arabia three years ago, that's when she got on the line and found me.

HARRIS: Sarah, when is the last time you've seen your children?

SAGA: Two weeks ago.

HARRIS: Have you been able to talk with them?

SAGA: No. Actually, I had an agreement with my ex that he would never keep my children from me and that he will let me talk to them anytime I want. But right now, he is, he is not letting me talk to them at all. And the only thing he's allowing me to do is to hear their voices from the background. And for two weeks, I couldn't talk to them.

HARRIS: So you think -- do you really think that you may never, ever see your children again?

SAGA: I hope not. But if their father put that in his mind, then I guess that he can just, you know, try to do that thing.

DORNIER: We hold out hope.

HARRIS: Well good luck with that. As I understand it, you'll be testifying on Capitol Hill and telling your story there to a number of senators -- sorry, congressmen who be looking into trying to help other women who may be in the same situation. Do you know of any other women in the same situation? How many do you think there are?

SAGA: Well, there is hundred of women over there, thousands. You can't tell the number, because there is a lot of Saudi men over there who is married to American woman. And so a lot of them cannot speak, cannot go forward and say, Well, I want to go out of here with my children. And they're afraid.

HARRIS: Listen, we want to follow this story and see how things turn out and we're hoping for the best for you and your family. Debbie Dornier and Sarah Saga, thank you very much for sharing with us this. I know it's be a tough time for you, but we the best for you as well for little Ibrahim (ph) and Anine (ph) as well.

DORNIER: Thank you.

SAGA: Thank you so much.

HARRIS: Good luck down the road.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired July 10, 2003 - 10:53   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Our next story this morning is about the heart-wrenching decision that one mother faced. A Saudi Arabian woman was allowed to leave the country where she says she that was held against her will for the past 18 years, but she had to leave behind her children with their father, who happened to be a Saudi national.
We're joined now by that woman. She is Sarah Saga. And her mother is also joining us. Her mother is Debbie Dornier and she joining us from Washington as well.

Thanks for coming in and talking to us about this. As I understand it, first of all, let me set the stage here, now, Debbie, how was it that you became separated here from Sarah?

DEBBIE DORNIER, MOTHER: In our divorce settlement, he wanted to take her back to Saudi Arabia to live, and keep her from me at age 3. And I was able to negotiate a compromise where he could take her to visit each summer. But on one of those visits, he didn't return her.

HARRIS: OK, and so then, Sarah, you therefore grew up or lived for some 18 years in Saudi Arabia?

SARAH SAGA, DAUGHTER WHO FLED: Yes.

HARRIS: And you married a Saudi?

SAGA: Yes.

HARRIS: And then you had children? But at some point after 18 years, what was it that made you decide that it was time for you to reunite with your mother Debbie here and come back to the U.S.?

SAGA: Well my life there was so hard. And actually, when I had my daughter she awakened a lot of things inside me as a mother, and -- well I, for 18 years I couldn't see my mother or even hold a picture of her. And so that was so hard on me.

And so I just decided to see my mom. And nobody helped me into, you know, going to somewhere seeing her. But so I figured out that my only way is to come here and live with my mom, with my children.

HARRIS: But you couldn't bring the children out?

SAGA: No, I couldn't.

HARRIS: Now you went to the U.S. embassy, is that correct? What happened there?

SAGA: Consulate. I went to the U.S. consulate in Jeddah and I took my children with me. I had so much hope that my children will, you know, come we with me. But there wasn't much help from the government or from the Saudi government for the children. And they couldn't leave unless their father gave the permission for them to leave. So I had no choice.

DORNIER: You see, Leon, she couldn't leave the consulate, because if she did her father would kill her for having gone there in the first place.

HARRIS: You know that for a fact?

DORNIER: Oh, yes, even his family agrees there's no doubt he would. He had threatened her 18 years before that if I ever tried to get her out, he would slit her out rather than let her come back.

HARRIS: So you never then tried to get her out over those 18 years?

DORNIER: I tried to work through the government, I tried to work through legal system here. But what happens is that because of our rights, you have to notify the other party. And if I had notified him, I would run the risk of him killing her. So I ended up having to wait and pray that things would change.

HARRIS: So, Sarah...

DORNIER: When Internet entered Saudi Arabia three years ago, that's when she got on the line and found me.

HARRIS: Sarah, when is the last time you've seen your children?

SAGA: Two weeks ago.

HARRIS: Have you been able to talk with them?

SAGA: No. Actually, I had an agreement with my ex that he would never keep my children from me and that he will let me talk to them anytime I want. But right now, he is, he is not letting me talk to them at all. And the only thing he's allowing me to do is to hear their voices from the background. And for two weeks, I couldn't talk to them.

HARRIS: So you think -- do you really think that you may never, ever see your children again?

SAGA: I hope not. But if their father put that in his mind, then I guess that he can just, you know, try to do that thing.

DORNIER: We hold out hope.

HARRIS: Well good luck with that. As I understand it, you'll be testifying on Capitol Hill and telling your story there to a number of senators -- sorry, congressmen who be looking into trying to help other women who may be in the same situation. Do you know of any other women in the same situation? How many do you think there are?

SAGA: Well, there is hundred of women over there, thousands. You can't tell the number, because there is a lot of Saudi men over there who is married to American woman. And so a lot of them cannot speak, cannot go forward and say, Well, I want to go out of here with my children. And they're afraid.

HARRIS: Listen, we want to follow this story and see how things turn out and we're hoping for the best for you and your family. Debbie Dornier and Sarah Saga, thank you very much for sharing with us this. I know it's be a tough time for you, but we the best for you as well for little Ibrahim (ph) and Anine (ph) as well.

DORNIER: Thank you.

SAGA: Thank you so much.

HARRIS: Good luck down the road.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com