PRISON VISIT, ADEL KHOURY

UNCLAS AMMAN 003594

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPARTMENT FOR CA/OCS/ACS/NESA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC PTER JO CASC KHOURY ADEL
SUBJECT: PRISON VISIT, ADEL KHOURY

REF: 04 AMMAN 10120 AND PREVIOUS


1. (U) ACSOFF and ACSFSN visited Adel Khoury for 45 minutes
on 4 April 2005 at Suwaqa prison south of Amman. Mr. Khoury
was, as always, pleased by the visit.


2. (U) MR. KHOURY SAID THAT ACCORDING TO HIS DOCTOR, HIS
CANCER IS CURED; HE CONTINUES ROUTINE TESTING TO CONFIRM
THIS DIAGNOSIS. MR. KHOURY SHOWED ACSOFF AN X-RAY REPORT
DATED FEB. 20, 2005, STATING THAT HE HAS A HERNIATED DISC IN
HIS BACK. MR. KHOURY ALSO STILL SUFFERS FROM HIS HERNIA.
HE STATED THAT HIS DOCTOR TOLD HIM THAT THEY CANNOT OPERATE
ON HIM UNTIL THEY ARE CERTAIN THAT HIS CANCER IS IN
REMISSION. HE SAID THAT HE TAKES IRON AND MULTIVITAMIN
SUPPLEMENT PILLS THAT HE RECEIVES FROM THE UNITED STATES.
OTHERWISE, MR. KHOURY APPEARED TO BE IN GOOD PHYSICAL
CONDITION.


3. (SBU) MR. KHOURY SPOKE AT LENGTH ABOUT A PRISON GANG
CALLED "THE SHEIKHS," SO NAMED BECAUSE OF THEIR PROFESSIONS
OF FAITH TO ISLAM. HE BELIEVES THAT THE GANG IS CONNECTED TO
AL QAEDA AND OSAMA BIN LADEN. HE STATED THAT THE GANG
MEMBERS HAVE CELLULAR PHONES AND COULD BE MAKING CONTACT
WITH PEOPLE IN AFGHANISTAN. HE ALSO STATED THAT THE GANG
POSSESSED WEAPONS, DRUGS, AND CHEMICALS. HE SAID THAT SINCE
THE GANG WAS ISOLATED FROM THE REST OF PRISON INMATES ABOUT
ONE MONTH AGO, ONE OF THE INMATES IN HIS CELL WHO ACTS AS A
MESSENGER TO "THE SHEIKHS" HAS THREATENED TO CUT OFF MR.
KHOURY'S HEAD WITH A SWORD BECAUSE HE IS CHRISTIAN. HE ALSO
MENTIONED THAT THE PREVIOUS PRISON DIRECTORS AND THE WHOLE
CADRE OF OFFICERS AND GUARDS HAVE RECENTLY CHANGED BECAUSE
OF INVOLVEMENT WITH THE GANG. [COMMENT: ACSOFF ALSO MET
WITH THE NEW PRISON DIRECTOR, WHO CONFIRMED THAT AN ISLAMIST
GANG HAD RECENTLY BEEN ISOLATED FOR POSSESSION OF CONTRABAND
AND FOR ATTEMPTING TO CONTROL THE OTHER INMATES AND BEATING
THEM FOR "UN-ISLAMIC" ACTS, INCLUDING CURSING. END
COMMENT.]


4. (U) MR. KHOURY DISCUSSED HIS LIFE IN PRISON SINCE 1997.
HE ALLEGED CORRUPTION ON THE PART OF THE PRISON OFFICIALS
AND GUARDS, BUT WITHOUT GREAT DETAIL. HE ALSO EXPRESSED HIS
DESIRE TO BE TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER PRISON (BALQA-SALT
PRISON) WHERE HE BELIEVES HE WOULD FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE AND
BE CLOSER TO THE HOSPITAL. HE STATED THAT HE HAD SUBMITTED
WRITTEN REQUESTS FOR THE TRANSFER AND EACH REQUEST WAS
DENIED.


5. (U) POST WILL VISIT MR. KHOURY AGAIN IN THREE MONTHS.

HALE