Obama aids American in Mideast custody battle

The U.S. presidential hopeful raised the case of the Chicago-area woman in his meeting with Palestinian leaders last week, and won a promise from the prime minister to look into the matter.

And that's how the private battle between Yasser and Colleen Bargouthi, which spans continents and cultures, took a public turn.

In separate interviews, the two offered conflicting explanations of what brought the family to Bargouthi's home village of Kobar in June 2007.

Colleen Bargouthi, 36, said her husband of 14 years moved the family to the West Bank under the pretext of a vacation, and that he has refused to let the girls, ages 5-11, return to the U.S.

Yasser Bargouthi, 38, said his wife agreed to move to the Palestinian territories for a fresh start after she took an overdose of anti-depressants.

He said he won't let the girls go to the U.S. because he fears his wife, who he claims has abused prescription drugs, cannot care for them.

Mrs. Bargouthi confirmed taking an overdose last summer, citing anxiety, but denied abusing drugs or being an unfit mother.

Mrs. Bargouthi, who returned to the U.S. without her daughters in May, said she's worried the girls will never be allowed to leave the West Bank and will eventually be married off to relatives.

Her husband said he's not a traditional Muslim and will let the girls make their own choices.