William Barloon and David Daliberti were working as civilian contractors for the United States Navy as aircraft mechanics in Kuwait when they were arrested on March 13, 1995, after they crossed the Kuwaiti-Iraqi border, allegedly without knowing it.
Soon afterwards, such political persons as Polish diplomat Ryszard Krystosik, and future New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson visited them in prison to try to put international pressure into their case and have them released.
They were released on humanitarian grounds, but American officials speculated that Hussein was trying to make the United Nations relent on their international economic sanctions against Iraq.
Both Barloon's and Daliberti's wives were personally told by telephone by United States President Bill Clinton that their husbands had been released.
[9] In 2001, a Washington D.C. federal judge determined that Barloon was to be awarded 2.9 million dollars and his wife Linda 1.5, from the Iraqi government, for his incarceration.