Syrian Crisis Separates Rosemount Man From Wife
ROSEMOUNT, Minn. (WCCO) - One family in Minnesota is watching the crisis in Syria unfold for very personal reasons.
George Bittar lives in Rosemount and spends most of his time lately glued to Skype, making sure his wife Sally, who's in Syria, is OK.
"It's been very stressful," George said. "She's there and I'm here and we just, sometimes, we can't sleep. And it's just so hard for both of us."
George proposed to Sally in Syria - where they grew up together - in April. The couple got married in July with plans for her to come with him to the U.S. shortly after, but that's when chaos ensued in the country.
"When we heard what was going on at first, we couldn't believe it. And then now it's just getting, I think, worse and worse. And the U.S. is gonna go there or it's not going to. So it's just hard to believe it," he said.
Now that President Obama will have Congress vote to decide if the U.S. government should intervene, Sally says she's afraid to leave her home.
"From my opinion, it's going to be a big problem if they enter...the problem will be bigger," Sally said, via Skype.
George agrees with his wife.
"I don't think, I mean, we should go there. I don't see a reason. I understand what was going on with the chemical weapons they were talking about and things like this, but I don't think we should go there," he said. "We don't like to see anyone getting killed anywhere in the world."
With a vote from Congress at least 10 days away, George and Sally are simply waiting for a decision, and waiting to be together again.
"It's not fair for anybody, not fair for the U.S. people, not fair for the people that live there," he said. "It's just, it's sad."
George also has other family members in Syria, including his grandmother, uncles and an aunt. He says the city they are all staying in – Tartus - is OK right now.
They are all safe, but again, he's just hoping he can be reunited with his wife soon.
