we've all failed him because nothing has happened to get his children back. >> reporter: it is an international nightmare that began with a most american of love stories. in 1995 michael shannon was a computer specialist in chicago when his best friend invited him to a company softball game. the company was the engineering giant bechtel, and on that softball field he met a bechtel employee, nermeen khalifa, and fell in love. >> she was in your eyes american. >> americanized. yeah. i didn't find out until three months after we were dating that her father was born in cairo. >> reporter: her egyptian father was an extremely wealthy and powerful businessman who made sure his daughters, including nermeen, were born u.s. citizens. it wasn't long before michael shannon and nermeen khalifa were married. and michael found out just how wealthy the khalifa family was. >> for a while was it a good