Alleged Libyan rape victim relocated to U.S.

Iman Al-Obeidi is seen in Tripoli, Libya, March 26, 2011, after storming into a hotel's breakfast room to show her wounds to foreign media.

/ AP Photo

The Libyan woman who was dragged away from reporters in March after shouting claims of being gang raped by Muammar Qaddafi's troops has been reportedly relocated to the United States.

CNN reported Friday morning that Iman al-Obeidi, 29, landed in New York late Wednesday night after spending nearly two months at a United Nations refugee facility in Romania. Al-Obeidi then flew from New York to an unnamed location where she will live after being granted asylum by the United States.

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Al-Obeidi told a CNN producer that she is "excited" and "happy" to be in America. Other than being thankful for the asylum and expressing her hope to someday meet Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, she declined further comment, saying she isn't ready to speak publicly.

In March, Qaddafi-regime media escorts dragged al-Obeidi out of the hotel housing international reporters covering the uprising after she burst in and talked about being pulled from her car and raped by regime soldiers at a security checkpoint.

After making headlines around the world, al-Obeidi wasn't heard from for several days. She then surfaced in neighboring Tunisia and later Qatar, where she was expelled to the de-facto rebel capital of Benghazi, Libya, before arriving in Romania to await word on her permanent relocation.

[longtree-2009]

simply put, she should not have been given special treatment over all the men and women all over the world even those in mexico. if she is acceptable, then let anyone and everyone come to the USA who has a story of maltreatment, whatever, in their native country.

[AnnieDanny]

So what's with all the woman-hating Trolls around here?? This poor girl has been through *ell and also became a woman without a country: through NO fault of her own. Her family said she was a college student before all this happened to her. I think she's been very brave. I hope she finds friendship and success in her new country. I'm glad she's here.

[wtcmedic911]

WHY???? If there are valid witnesses maybe, without who knows if shes lying or not?

[freeamerica31]

This is not about whether she was raped or not? Lots of women all across the world in war torn countries are butchered and raped daily...do we allow those women or men? She was in a safe refugee camp and could have stayed until the end of the Libyan Civil War but Hillary and her Progressive UN ways got this woman a special deal. Shouldn't have been done and should be an insult to any women who have been assaulted and made to face their rapist in this country on the witness stand.

[quinntwin]

Boy, there are a lot of hateful people trolling around in the middle of the afternoon on this board.

I hope she find happiness, is safe here and does not have the misfortune to meet one of you haters. (Maybe you are all really posting from Lybia)

Good luck and welcome!!!

[freeamerica31]

You obviously are for illegal aliens and anyone that can con the State Dept. What part of why couldn't she stay at the Refugee Camp don't you understand? What makes this individual any more important than any other refugee who has allegedly been raped? This is favoritism in the media and Hillary wanted to make herself popular amongst the press with tax payer dollars at stake. This woman gets a free ride....how many American sexual assault victims get a free ride? Do you not see the irony in this action. This is world politics at it's best and of course the U.S. has to play world police...enough! I do not wish this woman harm but I feel it is not America's problem and we should stay out of it.

[SandmanUSMC]

Give me your tired, your poor
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free

Statue of Liberty

[freeamerica31]

As long as they pass through border control points to register. Those huddle tired and poor did this also...nothing new...what part don't you understand.

[SandmanUSMC]

America has always welcomed immigrants from other nations, particularly those who are tortured, politically oppressed, etc.

Iman al-Obeidi, welcome to America. You are free to speak your mind here. As you can see from some of the bozo comments above we have our own idiots in this country, but at least they won't try to physically harm you.

Here's to your new happy life! Cheers :)

[wtcmedic911]

You sure she told the truth?

[freeamerica31]

I know you can't be trying to tell me this woman should be considered a tortured/politically oppressed? If so what are you going to do about all the other women out their who have been raped by militaries all over the world. How about those in our own military that have claims of sexual assault? How about women in this country everyday who have to sit on a witness stand to face their rapist while the rapist defence lawyer tries to victimize them a second time making them relive the rape over and trying to somehow blame their actions on the rape? This is really not a story about the woman as much as it is a story of our government treating every American like second class citizens while lifting foreigners rights over Americans first. This women had a safe place to stay and should have been left there until the end of the Libyan Civil War or do you think we should just allow all refugees into America...I say no.

[SusanMassachusetts]

Good for you America. We extend ourselves to EVERYONE but our own. We slash SSI, Medicare, yet we are beyond generous to everyone else. Nice. Great way to say thank you to those that built the country.

[carolhill814]

Who knows if the leader of that country didn't send her there because he knew our cameras were there and knew that USA believes everything we see and knew we would send her here feeling sorry for her and she could spy on us.

Did anybody think of that? I doubt that seriously.

Now make sure to send her entire family here because they will be in danger we have plenty of room for spies don't we?

[IBBuckshot]

I feel bad for anyone, man or woman who has been raped. I worry about our soldiers and what happens to them if they get caught by the enemy. Human rights or respect is void in some places in the world and especially in war.
Can't imagine how much worse a gang rape would be than individual rape. It would be something one would never recover mentally from. Many PTSD patients are rape victims. But giving this lady the benefit of the doubt I am glad she is away from the heathen in her own country. It would be hard to leave family and know that once you spoke up about the brutalities you would never be safe in your homeland again.
Hopefully she will remain a very private person and no cameras. There are plenty of brute mentalities lurking in the USA.

[freeamerica31]

I disagree with your conclusions but respect your insight. She was in a safe refugee camp and could have stayed until the end of the Libyan Civil War or would you allow all Libyans to enter this country. Before you say yes, America has a long a deadly connection to Libyans and that regime and that connection has cost American lives. Not our problem.

[bradkt1]

So here is another person with an unverfiable story that our government accepts as fact simply because she knows how to parrot the anti-Libyan Government political line that they want to hear.

This is a hustle.

We are better than this...and if our Government is supposed to consist of the American people, it is damn sure supposed to be better than this.

[freeamerica31]

Thank you bradkt1.

[carolhill814]

I couldn't agree with you more put on a good act and our doors are open to all liars no matter the lie.

Maybe she go to New York City where they changed the law as far as rape is concerned it is not a crime that arrest for unless a knife or gun is used other than that the rapist walk.