RSS
Using PayPal
Chrobog Family Caught Between Two Yemeni Tribes
Share / Recommend - Comment - Print - Friday, Dec 30 2005, 10:18AM
I have received word this morning that two people, one whom I know, have had direct phone contact with Karim Chrobog, son of former German Foreign Ministry State Secretary Juergen Chrobog, who both along with three other family members have been kidnapped by Yemeni tribal clans.
While Karim Chrobog told both people that he and his family are well, even though they are being held against their will, he hoped that they would be released soon.
However, a dispute between two tribal clans about them has broken out, and the Chrobogs were moved this morning -- reportedly for their saftey -- when a group of armed men in several helicopters arrived in the area where they are being held.
This is an email I received today from a source whom I should keep anonymous:
I wanted to also let you know that I have just received an email from XXXX on the XXX film telling me that he spoke with Karim at 8.45 this morning - Yemen time.Karim was calm and collected and he said he and family were all safe and sound, being treated as guests (even if involuntary ones) and awaiting an early release in sha Allah. Only a short call, but what a relief . . . ok just had this emailed interupted by a phone call FROM KARIM.
He does sound calm and collected. He said that they are being looked after well but are not able to leave. He said that it is complicated -- that it is a feud between two tribes that they are in the middle of.
They are being looked after well but he doesn't know when it will be over. He said that there was a moment of tension this morning when helicopters arrived and they were taken up to the hills -- for their protection.
I asked him if there was anything I can do and he said that he
is not sure but the more people that know about this the better.
Karim Chrobog and the Chrobog family have been important allies to many throughout the Arab world who have felt exploited or demeaned by Western nations.
The Yemeni tribes should consider carefully what they are doing to hurt their political cause by holding against their will people who many in the Arab world feel are great friends.
More later.
-- Steve Clemons
« Previous Article - Chrobog Family Kidnapped in Yemen: Note to Yemeni Tribesmen» Next Article - Happy New Year & Relief: Chrobog Family Released
Um, how many Yemeni tribes have their own private helicopters?
Helicopter? The Chrobog's have been flown by a helicopter to where? I don't know but, there is something not quite right about this. Are helicopters the standard form of transportation in Yemen? Are helicopters affordable in Yemen? Can just anyone have a helicopter in Yemen? Are we not getting the whole story here?
Dear Dan and WCMCurious:
I got it wrong and have adjusted my text in the post. There were apparently several helicopters with armed men in them that landed near where the Chrobogs are being held. Karim Chrobog did not comment (to my knowledge) to the people he was able to reach about who these people in the helicopters were.
I incorrectly thought that the Chrobogs had been moved by helicopter, but that is incorrect. They were simply moved from the site that they were being held, and I don't know the means of transport.
The helicopters, however, triggered their move.
More later.
Steve Clemons
Steve, this really is an interesting story. Keep up the great work and have a great 2006.
Why in God's name did you publish this? I would hope that no sympathetic party, no matter how unlikely the possibility, gets wind of the fact that one of the captives was able to speak by phone from his whereabouts...unless the phone call was sanctioned by his captors.
Slightly off topic... but let's be real eh?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chalabi for Oil Minister!
Chalabi for Oil Minister!!
Chalabi for Oil Minister!!!
Someone please tell me how an essentially American guy (Chalabi)-- who gleaned a ridiculous small percentage of the Iraqi vote-- somehow got promoted into this position?
It doesn't have anything to do with Americans being in Iraq AND CONTROLLING their democracy TOO does it?
[**Insert extra loud guffaws here. Not the embarrassed titters of a petty thief caught with his hand in the cookie jar, but rather-- the devil-enriched gleeful mirth of a crowd of pyschopaths. Loud, hard, manical cachinnating.**]
I mean... this war wasn't about the oil right?
It was about giving the common Iraqi in the street the power of the vote right?
It was all about democracy right?
[**Insert another blast of unrepetant guffaws.**]
Well... didn't the common Iraqi voter pretty much said "NO, NO, and FUCKING NO" to Chalabi?
Didn't they?
[**Guffaws trail off into an embarrassed silence**]
Did I miss something?
Or.... is this Iraqi democracy a sham democracy?
[**Insert the following background chant that grows louder and lounder and eventually encroaches over the foreground like a tusanmi insurgent wave**]
SHAM!
SHAM!!
SHAM!!!
SHAM!!!!
SHAM!!!!!
SHAM!!!!!!
SHAM!!!!!!!
SHAM!!!!!!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Aside: Ain't it about time we all reread Lederer's and Burdick's The Ugly American?
Yeah.
I think so too.
That's my New Year's resolution.
And my New Year's prayer?
I pray that Iraqi's get their country back this year...]
I don't think that this is quite what the Chrobogs were looking forward to on their Christmas vacation, nor do I imagine that they are presently overwhelmed with joy at their situation; they, you and we may, however, come to see this as having been a wonderfully fortunate turn of events. Much good might come out of it. And thank God they're German -- if they were American, we'd probably have smart-bombed a few homes and vehicles by now in the culturally insulated absolute certainty that their captors were simply a cross between Richard Hauptmann and Osama bin Laden. I expect and hope they'll be home within a week.
The BBC is reporting that the family his been released
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4571566.stm
"German family 'released' in Yemen
A former German government minister, his wife and three children have been freed by their tribesman captors in Yemen, officials there say.
The family had been seized three days ago while on a tourism trip to eastern Shabwa province.
The kidnappers were demanding that the Yemeni government free five tribesmen jailed on charges, including murder.
Talks led by Yemen's defence minister had been under way to free Juergen Chrobog and his family. "
....hopefully, there is no need for concern, but why is the word "released" in quotes in the headline?
Hi Steve, sounds like you can help me how I can get intouch with the Chrobog's will you atleast help me get Karim's number or email add please. Thank you very much and Happy New Year.
Reader Comments (11) - post a comment