JORDAN BLUE LANTERN: VERIFYING BONA FIDES OF

S E C R E T AMMAN 000202

NOFORN
SIPDIS

STATE FOR PM/DTCC BLUE LANTERN COORDINATOR

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/19/2020
TAGS: ETTC KOMC JO
SUBJECT: JORDAN BLUE LANTERN: VERIFYING BONA FIDES OF
REGISTERED BROKER NANCY MOHAMMAD-NOUR H. QUANDOUR (CASE
NUMBER K-2647)

REF: A. A) WILSON-JOUBERT-LIN EMAIL NOV 09

B. B) 09 STATE 99520

C. C) 09AMMAN 2671

Classified By: DCM Lawrence Mandel for reasons 1.4(b) and (d).


1. (SBU) Economic Section and Foreign Commercial Service
(FCS) LESs conducted initial/preliminary database searches on
the Dehab firm, as provided ref B, through Government of
Jordan (Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)) on-line
records and found no pertinent information. However when the
alternate spelling Dahab, revealed a company with which the
Commercial Section is familiar.


2. (C) Blue Lantern Officer visited the offices of Dahab
Corporation (application: Dehab) on 10 December 2009,
accompanied by LES assistant, and met with Mr. Majd Abulzahb
(AKA abu al-Zahab or abu Dahab),who identified himself as
the Operations Manager. Note: The spelling of Abulzahb's
name on his English-language business card was noted to be a
very peculiar and non-typical transliteration of abu Dahab.
End note. Initially evasive, Abulzahb eventually admitted
that the registered owner, Ms. Nancy Quandour, was his
mother. He said Quandour does not come to the office every
day and it was unclear how involved she was in the actual
day-to-day operations of the business, or if she normally
worked from a different location (another address for the
company is listed on business cards and on Dahabco's
web-page).


3. (C) Abulzahb, personable, animated, and speaking excellent
English, reported the firm has five employees, and had been
in the business of "security safety consulting" since 2004.
In a rambling, jargon-filled narrative, Abulzahb said the
firm helps clients "identify and clarify" business needs,
then assists them in obtaining required materials to meet
those needs. He further stated that they do not participate
directly in contract bids, and never take physical custody of
any item; they merely help to identify solutions to problems,
find sub-contractors, and act as freight forwarders to the
actual end-user. Abulzahb claimed Dahabco only works with
the Government of Jordan (GoJ),the UN, or NGOs, but would
like to eventually obtain USG contracts. The company
web-page mentions Dahabco's on-going interest in engaging in
business in Iraq, however Abulzahb never mentioned Iraq in
his discussions with Emboffs. He reported the company
registered as brokers in order to obtain a contract to
provide equipment items to the Jordanian police, but as yet
that deal had not been completed.


4. (S/NF) LES staff reports that within Jordan the abu Dahab
family is known to have a somewhat questionable reputation.
Quandour's father, Mohammad Nour Quandour, and uncle, Noah
Quandour (a top aide to former Jordanian Speaker of the
Parliament, Abdul Hadi al-Majali) had been accused -- though
never formally indicted -- of mismanagement of police and
army contracts when they worked in the GoJ Public Security
Directorate (national police force). Additionally, Ms.
Quandour's husband (Abulzahb's father),Mamoun Abu al-Dahab,
a Syrian by birth and naturalized Jordanian citizen,
reportedly has several relatives who are connected to, or
members of, the al-Ba'ath party in Syria. Finally, Abulzahb
admitted -- reluctantly -- then tried to dismiss the fact
that he is related by marriage to Amjad al-Dahabi, son of
recently relieved Jordanian Prime Minister Nader al-Dahabi
(ref C). The younger Dahabi has been in the local press in
recent months regarding allegations that he used his father's
position as PM to improperly obtain government contracts.


5. (S/NF) Conclusion: There is much that remains murky about
Dahab, and negative rumors persist about the abu Dahab
family. It is possible that Quandour is the company owner in
name only, and is attempting to distance the firm from the
actual owner (possibly her husband) and rumors of
questionable activities. The misspelling of the company name
on their application, as well as the spelling of Abulzahb's
name on his English-language business card (followed by his
hesitancy to admit that it was in fact his mother who was the
listed owner of the firm),could likewise be efforts to
inhibit connecting the company with the abu Dahab family
name.


6. (S/NF) While Dahab Corporation could be as they portray
themselves, in the business of moving goods between suppliers
and legitimate end-users such as GoJ and the UN, rumors
abound regarding the abu Dahab family and less-than-reputable
individuals and activities. Regrettably Post is unable to
authoritatively attest to the company ownership/management,
the legitimacy of their employees or associates, or the


legality of all of their operations.


7. (U) Corrected address/contact information for this firm
is:

- DAHAB CORPORATION (vice Dehab)
- 30 KABUL (AKA "KABOL")STREET, RABIA DISTRICT
- GHAZAL COMPLEX BLDG, BUILDING 30
- 3RD FLOOR, OFFICE 33
- AMMAN
- JORDAN 11194
- TEL: 962-6-552-2024
- FAX: 962-6-556-0456
- WWW.DAHABCO.COM

Visit Amman's Classified Web Site at
http://diplopedia.state.sgov.gov/index.php?ti tle=Embassy Amman
Beecroft