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Subscribe to RSSUpdated at 10:30 a.m. ET: CAIRO -- Two American tourists kidnapped by Bedouin tribesmen in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula were released and on their way to a police station, officials told NBC News on Thursday.
The tribesmen took the two men, both aged 31, on Wednesday in the Red Sea town of Dahab -- popular for diving and windsurfing.
The two were kidnapped by members of the Tarabeen tribe in order to gain the freedom of a man from the tribe who was caught for drug possession, Bedouin and security sources told NBC News.
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"We can confirm that there were two U.S. citizens kidnapped May 30 on the Sinai Peninsula and we are working closely with the Egyptian authorities to resolve the situation," a U.S. Embassy official told Reuters earlier without giving further details.
Several other tourists have been held briefly by tribesmen in recent months, but have been released unharmed. Two American women were held in a short-lived kidnapping in February until Egyptian authorities negotiated their release a few hours later.
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Bedouin tribesmen in the Sinai have also attacked police stations, blocked access to towns and taken hostages to show their discontent with what they see as poor treatment from Cairo and to press for the release of jailed kinsmen.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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"Hey, the Egyptians and everyone else in the Middle East hate Americans. There are wars going on over there and we don't speak the language. Let's go surfing over there. Nobody'll bother us." IDIOTS!
This is not true. The Egyptians I met in 2010 were very nice although a bit money-grubbing. They are extremely poor in comparison to us. Of course, that was under Mubarak back then. It doesn't look like they got things together yet, though, with two hardliners fighting it out to destroy a great civilization.
foolish. sinai hasnt been safe for a long time. you take a big risk going there. its not worth it.
There's no way I'm traveling anywhere in the Middle East unless I can be armed ... I don't care how "moderate" the country supposedly is.
Religion is the poison of mankind and to think I could be captured and killed by one of these savages with no respect for human life is unthinkable to me. These guys lop heads off like they're taking a stroll in the park.
I feel so bad for the secular natives of these lands that have somehow managed to escape the grasp of these wicked ideologies. It must truly be like hell living as a 21st century human being in a region still living in the 1st.
The kidnappers are Bedouins in Sinai who are holding the two 31 yr old Americans traveling to Nuweiba by car in exchange for an imprisoned drug dealer. The US Emb/Egyptian transitional g'ment are negotiating with them. Since their names have been known from the kidnapping I find it very odd that US is not reporting this fact. Everyone can read the news either in Jpost or http;//en.rian.ru/world/20120531/173769462.html Bedouins in Egypt's Sinai are the underclass citizens. JPost reported the Palestinian version.
Since the overthrow of Mubarak the security situation in Egypt has gotten progressively worse. Any American taking a vacation in Egypt right now is simply asking for trouble. The police have backed off on law enforcement efforts because they fear getting caught in a purge when the Muslim Brotherhood completes it's takeover of the Egyptian government. Many of the police are seen by the Islamists as being an extension of the Mubarak regime and it's repression of the Islamists fundamentalist agenda. This has resulted in many Egyptian police officers backing off and trying to portray themselves as less rigid and officious in order to prevent being purged (i.e. arrested and jailed or just disappeared) by the Islamists. As a result, there has been a general breakdown in law and order in Egypt. Laws that protected minorities from harassment and persecution by Islamists are not being enforced. This has resulted in a serious decrease in safety and security for non-Muslims in Egypt as there has been a slow but steady breakdown of the secular society which is being replaced by an Islamist one.
Of course police protection in the Sinai has never been great to start with, but the current shift going on in Egypt has only served to make things that much worse. No doubt these two will be released unharmed as soon as the Bedouins get their tribal member back. Other people who have been kidnapped by Bedouins for similar reasons have reported being very well treated by their captors. Unlike Americans taken hostage in other parts of the Middle East, those being taken hostage by Bedouins in the Sinai are not being taken because of a hatred for Americans. They are taking Americans hostage because the Bedouins know that this will give them the leverage they need to get what they want because the US government will pressure the Egyptian government to do what is needed to secure the release of the Americans. Taking another Egyptian hostage would not give the Bedouins the needed leverage. For now, with the secular minded military in control, this tactic still works but it may not continue to work much longer. Once the Muslim Brotherhood completes their takeover of the Egyptian government I doubt that they will care too much about securing the release of a couple of American hostages.
Egyptians love Americans. One of the most friendly places we have ever visited!
Don't think so . . . these two just happened to be at the wrong place at the right time, representing bargaining chips.
um, no ed. egyptians love american MONEY.
I'm sorry. I just do not have compassion for anyone who purposely puts themselves in harms way. You would have to be living under a rock not to know the troubles going on in the middle east countries for over a year now.
Think you can go there and declaring "I'm a tourist" will save you from harm? More like "I'm a valuable target to help you get what you want" would be more like it.
Think about it. Why do they target tourist and not the local bicycle mechanic? Is it possible that the Govt will get involved and give you what you want so there will not be an international incident?
Call me crazy, but Yep! Thats exactely what it is. So what middle eastern country do you plan on vacationing in this year? Inquiring minds* want to know.
* Terrorist/thugs/Western haters
Egypt has been an exciting and safe destination for years. Unfortunately, since Obama supported the who overthrow of Mubarak it just isn't a reasonable destination anymore. Fortunately these two young men were released. It won't be long before the Muslim brotherhood starts kidnapping and killing westerners.
Nothing says "total Sinai experience" any clearer than being kidnapped by the Bedouin.
I bet they'll get to see a lot of local sights they NEVER would've seen on the normal tour now that they've been abducted by the Bedouin. They're really going to get their moneys worth now.
Sorry, but if you're dumb enough to go on some tourist vacation to Egypt at the moment you probably deserve to be kidnapped for being a westerner.
This should be good for tourism. Arab Spring my ass ! Pitooey.
Those who travel to Muslim dominated areas practice a type of insanity where they believe that what is predictable will not occur.
Because, you know, only Muslims kidnap or commit crimes.
after they are freed i hear they may go hicking in iran or mountian climbing in afghanistan.
Serves them right for vacationing in a third world country in the midst of a Muslim revolution, how stupid do you have to be? Go to Maine or something...
It is occurrances like this that have made me remove going to Egypt from my 'bucket list'. While it appears from the article that these two tourists were in the wrong place at the wrong time, I am of the opinion that any American tourist is a target anywhere in the Middle East. I'll stay in the "Good Ole US of A", thank you very much.
I watched a news article on an American tourist in Egypt who got very sick and even the Muslim doctors refused to treat her because she was in their words "like a swine", and basically not human. They let her die right there on the gurney, I crossed Egypt off my list after that story came out.
"Two American women were held in a short-lived kidnapping in February until Egyptian authorities negotiated their release a few hours later."
This explains a lot. Terrorists make demands, people give in to them within a few hours....
They teach people that terrorism works....which is why they use it...often. <.<
I wonder if kidnapping was part of the travel package they got. Nothing like being a hostage to take a break from the daily grind back at home. Rest and relaxation, egyptian style.
wind surfing + kidnapping = Middle East version of Point Break. I wonder if any of the kidnappers wore a Richard Nixon mask..
More money than brains. Which is why they are probably in there anyway. "Hey we're rich, Americans AND tourists. They'll never touch us." Well guess what idiots - You get to see things NO ONE should ever see outside of Egypt! You are on their schedule, which from what I hear - is kinda like NEVER RUSH ANYTHING. So good luck with that 1%ers. (the only people who would be dumb enough to go there DURING A WAR in the first place).
I hope we are making friends with these Bedouins as they sound like they are the only reasonable people in the ME.
Obama thanks the tripesmen for releasing the tourists.
Anyone who goes vacationing in a Muslim country has to take the consequences. Oh, I know, "it's only a few of them." A few million and the rest watch.
"See the pyramids and die..."
Tourism is the backbone of Egypts economy. This will only discourage travelers from going to their country. Further decline of their economy will lead to further strife. If Islamic fundamentalist get firm control of the country, I belive it will be short lived. People need to make money to survive.
That's what everyone said about Iran. Islam is a strong enough mind-control cult to encourage people to die of poverty rather than be nice to others. Look at Nigeria. Ruining what could by an up-and-coming economy to attack Christians and oppress women. Or Afghanistan. The best and brightest are the women but they're fleeing now, fearing a takeover by the fundy Muslims.
You are an American and travel to any of the middle eastern countries, you are a MORON.............. What did you expect?
Survival instinct's for the lose!
Lucky them.
The gov should leave natural born tribes alone.
I think that Americans and Europeans visiting the Middleeast really take a chance with their lives. Radical groups always use Americans as pawns and bargaining chips. Not only in the Middleeast, in parts of Africa, Latin America, recent case in Bolivia with American businessman being accused of spying. Times are different and Americans have too stop putting themselves at risk by fueling these countries tourist industry that hate what we stand for Democracy. Americans should concentrate on fueling America's tourist economy or allies in Europe and Scandinavia but not in countries where you can be kidnapped and killed.