CAIRO: Egyptian police have confirmed that Bedouin in the Sinai Peninsula had kidnapped two American tourists and their Egyptian guide on Friday. The sources said they were demanding an exchange of hostages for the tourists, one man and one woman. According to reports, the two had been in a car with their Egyptian guide when tribesmen attacked the vehicle and grabbed them, nearly one month after a Singaporean tourist was snatched in the Peninsula. Kidnappings are becoming more commonplace in an area where Egyptian security forces are limited. All those taken hostage have been released unharmed, even commenting on the positive treatment they received. The Bedouin, who feel disenfranchised by decades of neglect from the central government in Cairo, have upped their pressure by nabbing foreign tourists in order to push for the release of tribesmen detained, most often not charged, by Egypt's security. This is not the first time US citizens have been take. In May, two American tourists were kidnapped near the Red Sea resort of Dahab. They were released after less than 24 hours in captivity.
