that could -- >> do you see any of your family in him? >> certainly i do. he looks like my daughter. >> how does it feel to be looking at these photographs of these people and after you said 11, 12 years you can't even determine if these are indeed your son? >> it's why i've been trying to get a photo for 10 years from the government. the u.s. embassy. office of children's issues. state department. they all live down the street. just any photo. if these are my sons, this is the first time i've seen them in 11 years. >> reporter: as we hang up, michael shannon is still not 100% sure. later, nermeen khalifa sent an e-mail to cnn claiming the boys in the images are not her sons. but she refused to give us any pictures.