. >> ambassador susan jacobs is the u.s. state department's special advisor on children's issues., she says, is a difficult country to deal with because it's not signed on to the hague convention regarding children's issues, which allows, in some cases, for the return of abducted kids. >> is there no way we can't say to egypt you want $3 billion a year for your 34i8 tear? give us back these kids that are american citizens. >> i would argue we have a very complex relationship with egypt that goes beyond military aid. we are trying to work with egypt's government as they transition to democracy to encourage all kinds of new practices. and one of them would be adherence to the hague convention or to recognize u.s. court orders and we'll continue to urge them to do that. but i don't think we're going to just say we're through with you if you don't do this one thing. we have many things that we want you to do. this is one of them. >> michael shannon has heard that same explanation for more than a decade. >> and all that time, he has been fighting a court case back in maryland. michael'

. >> ambassador susan jacobs is the u.s. state department's special advisor on children's issues.t signed on to the hague convention regarding children's issues, which allows, in some cases, for the return of abducted kids. >> is there no way we can't say to egypt you want $3 billion a year for your 34i8 tear? give us back these kids that are american citizens. >> i would argue we have a very complex relationship with egypt that goes beyond military aid. we are trying to work with egypt's government as they transition to democracy to encourage all kinds of new practices. and one of them would be adherence to the hague convention or to recognize u.s. court orders and we'll continue to urge them to do that. but i don't think we're going to just say we're through with you if you don't do this one thing. we have many things that we want you to do. this is one of them. >> michael shannon has heard that same explanation for more than a decade. >> and all that time, he has been fighting a court case back in maryland. michael's sons have been growing up here. 12 long years. 12 years, not

when we asked susan jacobs, the state department's special ambassador on children's affairs, about the we were surprised to find out michael shannon is not alone. in this specific case, michael shannon has not even seen a photograph of his children in 12 years. >> i mean, and this is true in other of the 22 cases. i'm not going to speak about a specific case, but all of these cases are very sad, horrible cases where one of the parents has been deprived of their children for long periods of time. >> reporter: is there no way we can't say to egypt you want $3 billion a year for your military, give us back these 22 kids that are american citizens. >> well, i would argue that we have a very complex relationship with egypt that goes beyond military aid. we are trying to work with egypt's government as they transition to democracy to encourage all kinds of new practices, but i don't think we're going to just say, you know, we're through with you if you don't do this one thing. >> anderson, michael shannon says he's been hearing excuses for one reason or another since 2001. his boys, who were