US embassy cable - 05AMMAN3594

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