CAIRO, Egypt, Sept. 25, 2008
Europeans Abducted In Egypt Taken To Libya
Kidnappers Seized 11 Tourists, 8 Egyptian Tour Guides On Desert Safari Last Week
-
-
Tourists attend a Sound and Light show at the temple of Ramesses II, also known as The Great Temple at the temple complex of Abu Simbel, southwest of Aswan, Egypt Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2008. German officials established direct contact with kidnappers of a 19-member tour group in Egypt, Egyptian and Sudanese officials said. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)
-
Undated file picture showing Egypt's south western desert, where a group of 11 European tourists and eight Egyptians were kidnapped during an adventure safari in the Sahara desert and were taken across the border into neighboring Sudan, Monday. Sept. 22, 2008. (AP Photo/Saedi Press, File)
-
Foreign Ministry spokesman Ali Youssef told The Associated Press that the group was moved to Libya and was now some 10 miles inside Libyan territory.
Ali, speaking by telephone from the Sudanese capital Khartoum, did not know why the kidnappers, who are suspected to be desert tribesmen, decided to move their captives to Libya.
Egyptian government spokesman Magdy Rady and Tourism Ministry officials said they had no information on the move to Libya.
The tourists and the Egyptians were snatched Friday in a remote desert corner of southwestern Egypt. They are five Germans, five Italians and one Romanian. The Egyptians are drivers, guides and the owner of the tour company that organized the trip.
The kidnappers are demanding a ransom, reportedly of up to $15 million, and Germany has been negotiating with them, but there has been no word on the progress of these contacts.
Until now, the negotiations were taking place through two phone calls a day between the tour company's owner and his German wife, who lives in Egypt, according to an Egyptian security official speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss details of the talks.
The wife has been staying at the German Embassy in Cairo, according to Italian press reports.
The Egyptian security official said Wednesday that German authorities had established direct contact with the kidnappers. The contacts were also reported by the Sudan Media Center, a news agency close to the Khartoum government.
Neither gave details on how the communications were taking place.
© MMVIII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
More From World
Add a Comment
- No Bail out !!!!!!!!
We have no voice !!!!!
If you bail wall street out then who needs law. - Reply to this comment
- its europe''s problem..LET THEM SOLVE IT....
that is..if they can unglue thier uber euro enlightened lips off these terrorist''s arses - Reply to this comment
- Your boss Liar935Bush''''s administration has already ransomed Iraq and now Afghanistan. Think of it twice tardGOP!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by trishab58 at 11:20 AM : Sep 26, 2008
+ report abuse
********************
someone has too, liberals and the democrats ARE NOT GOING to do anything ABOUT TERRORISM. so far they spent 8 years deciding how deep the hole they want to bury thier heads and creating such catchy little names.. - Reply to this comment
- We should abduct terrorists and hold them for ransom from the other terrorists.
- Reply to this comment
- Now we will see what libya does about terrorist!
- Reply to this comment
- birdlikebld...
erm... what? - Reply to this comment
How gold pays for 
