Osama's wives may return to Saudi Arabia

Islamabad, Dec 10 (ANI): Two wives of former al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden held in Pakistan after the raid in May that killed their husband, are set to return to their homeland Saudi Arabia, Pakistani officials have said.

A third wife will not travel back to her native land, Yemen, after authorities refused to accept her but may instead be offered a new home in Qatar, The Nation quoted a source in the Pakistani Interior Ministry, as saying.

All three women were detained after the US special forces raid on a house in Abbottabad during which Osama was killed. Around a dozen children were also taken into Pakistani custody.

According to the officials and Saudi Press reports, the two Saudi-born wives, Khairiah Sabar and Siham Sabar, recently had their Saudi citizenship restored, a move which would allow their return, possibly as early as next week. Khairiah married Bin Laden in 1985 and Siham, in 1987. When the extremist leader was stripped of his citizenship in 1994, the two women, both college graduates, also lost theirs.

The official said now that the inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the raid is complete, the women were free to go.

"We have been working with the Saudi officials since the Pakistani Judicial Commission on the Abbottabad raid interviewed the Bin Laden widows. The Saudi government has agreed to accept his children and two wives, and we are working on logistical arrangements now', one senior source said, requesting anonymity," he said.

Eight children of the late al Qaeda leader would travel with the women, the official added. (ANI)