REPORT ON EGYPTIAN DISSIDENT'S HEALTH APPARENTLY

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 002072

SIPDIS

NSC STAFF FOR PASCUAL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/22/2018
TAGS: PREL PHUM KDEM EG
SUBJECT: REPORT ON EGYPTIAN DISSIDENT'S HEALTH APPARENTLY
INACCURATE

REF: A. CAIRO 976

B. CAIRO 1565

Classified By: Counselor for Economic and Political Affairs
Catherine Hill-Herndon for Reason 1.4(d).

1.(SBU) The Cairo independent newspaper Al Masry Al Youm
reported on September 21 that imprisoned opposition
politician Ayman Nour was suffering from a blood clot in his
leg. According to the report, which cited Nour's wife
Gameela Ismail as its source, prison authorities offered to
transport Nour to a hospital in a "lorry" for treatment, but
he declined as he believed that transportation in a "lorry"
could aggravate his condition.

2.(C) We met twice in recent days with Gameela Ismail as she
prepared to travel to New York to participate in a September
23 lunch hosted by President Bush. Ms. Ismail, who departed
yesterday for the U.S., did not mention to us any problem
with Nour's health, although she did tell us that she was
worried that the GoE would use her impending meeting with
President Bush "against her." We, therefore, contacted
Nour's long-time lawyer Amir Salem to ask about the report.
Salem told us the report was inaccurate and said he did not
believe Nour was suffering from a blood clot. Salem has told
us previously that Nour exaggerated his health problems (ref
B) and he believed that is also the case with the blood clot
report.

3.(C) Comment: Gameela Ismail has not been shy in the past
about bringing to our attention Nour's health problems.
Given our multiple meetings and conversations with her in
recent days, we are confident she would have alerted us if
there were any cause for concern.
SCOBEY