Yemeni Negotiators to Take Hostages' Place

SAN'A, Yemen -- Negotiators seeking the release of a former German diplomat and his family agreed Friday to take the captives' place in custody in a deal with the tribesmen who abducted the group as they were touring the mountains of eastern Yemen.

Sheik Awadh Bin al-Wazir, a member of parliament and a key negotiator, said the kidnappers had agreed to free the hostages before Saturday morning after negotiators agreed to their demands to replace the family.

"We have agreed to the kidnappers' demands after personally consulting with the president and government officials," al-Wazir told The Associated Press.

The kidnappers abducted Juergen Chrobog, his wife and three children on Wednesday, seeking the release of five jailed fellow tribesman.
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Al-Wazir...said the government agreed to the deal to "speed the hostage release and to keep this issue as a one that is between Yemenis, as well as out of our sense of humanitarian and moral responsibility."

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