Palestinian who abducted US women won't be charged

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
A Palestinian man who briefly kidnapped three American women will not be prosecuted because he released the hostages quickly and is cooperating with authorities, a local official said Wednesday. The women were snatched Tuesday, during a visit to the West Bank city of Nablus, and were released unharmed and in good condition after four hours. The man who held them, 26-year-old Hadi Saud, had demanded a job in the local security forces and treatment for a leg injury. Nablus district governor Kamal Sheikh, who negotiated with the kidnapper, said Saud would not be prosecuted and is receiving medical treatment as part of the deal. "He wasn't arrested because he decided himself to let them go and he was cooperative," Sheikh said.