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August 30, 2002, 10:15 a.m. Burton’s List A congressional delegation goes to Saudi Arabia.

ep. Dan Burton (R., Ind.) arrived in Riyadh Thursday night, armed with a list of 14 names. He's head of a bipartisan delegation attempting to do something the State Department has neglected to for nearly two decades: Rescue kidnapped American children (some are now adults) trapped Saudi Arabia.

Right as the U.S. relationship with the oil-rich nation has been receiving a fresh round of scrutiny, the Saudi royal family has an opportunity to reverse course and actually allow American citizens held hostage in the Kingdom the chance to taste freedom.

Dan Burton, chairman of the House Government Reform Committee, is continuing the work he publicly began in June committee hearings. Centrally featured before the committee was the woman who first made the issue of kidnapped American kids in Saudi Arabia public, Patricia Roush. Roush's two daughters, Alia and Aisha al-Gheshayan, were kidnapped from the Chicago area by their Saudi father in 1986. In the 16 years since, Roush has tirelessly championed the cause of not just her daughters, but the plights of other abducted children. The unifying theme across almost all similar cases is the indifference — if not hostility — State has shown toward the parents and their efforts to rescue American children. Roush herself has not even seen her own (now adult) daughters since 1995.

Though Roush has pioneered the political movement to rescue abducted children, her daughters have received less attention in the weeks leading up to Burton's trip than 19-year-old Amjad Radwan, another American citizen who suffers just by virtue of being a woman. Radwan stands perhaps the best chance of any of the children and young adults because of her suddenly high profile.

In fact, during their meeting at Crawford this week, George W. Bush discussed Radwan by name with Saudi Ambassador to the U.S., Prince Bandar bin Sultan, which should all but guarantee her safe release. Following Radwan's safe exit from Saudi Arabia, hopefully others will be allowed the same. Burton's list has a total of 14 names of Americans trapped inside the Kingdom, and Burton will make every effort to ensure the safe release of every last name on his list.

Burton's delegation of two Democrats and three other Republicans will be meeting with Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal this weekend, demanding that the 14 children and young adults be allowed to leave with the congressmen. Prince al-Faisal may try to hide behind Saudi law that prohibits women from obtaining exit visas to escape Saudi Arabia without the permission of a husband or father; it's a law the House of Saud could wave if American friendship is as precious to them as they claim it is. The prince could also claim that the Americans would rather stay in the desert prison. If he does, the delegation should answer: Send them back to America to see their U.S. relatives. In the U.S., they will each have the freedom to decide, without government and paternal pressure, if it is freedom or tyranny they prefer.

Ironically, the New York Times reported this week that the Saudis are spending truckloads of cash on lobbyists and glitzy public-relations efforts — but Americans aren't being duped. Since May, negative public perceptions of Saudi Arabia have risen from 50 percent to 63 percent of the general population. In other words, Saudi Arabia has burned through $5 million of cash with absolutely no progress to show for it. But Burton's trip presents the House of Saud with a golden opportunity to save face and look a little less despotic — never mind the chance to do the right thing.

Although she says she believes "with all [her] heart" that her daughters will eventually return to her loving embrace, Roush is hedging her bets about the prospects for this trip. "I can't afford to get my hopes up. It's just too emotionally draining when the bottom falls out," she notes with emotion weighing heavily on her voice. But the woman who has assumed the role of spokeswoman and advocate for other parents living through abduction hell is quick to point out the significance of the congressional trip: "Now is the time, and Dan Burton is the man."

— Joel Mowbray is an NRO contributor and a Townhall.com columnist.