Cambodia Deports Former US Marine For Allegedly Making Threat To US Embassy Security

2008-02-29
AP

PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA: Cambodia has deported a former U.S. Marine for allegedly making threats against the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh, a senior police official said Friday (29 Feb).

Gerald Forbes, 63, from Hawaii, was deported Thursday (28 Feb) night and banned from re-entering Cambodia, said Lt. Gen. Sok Phal, a deputy chief of the national police.

Police arrested Forbes on 19 Feb after he allegedly threatened the U.S. Embassy as he was venting his anger about what he says is insufficient support he has received from the U.S. government.

Cambodia had placed additional police around the embassy the night before Forbes' arrest.

Embassy spokesman Jeff Daigle could not be reached for comment Friday.

American to Be Deported Over Threat [on US Embassy]

By Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
26 February 2008

Gerald Francis Forbes, the former US Marine who sent a letter describing a potential attack on the US Embassy to a Phnom Penh newspaper, will be deported, officials said.

Forbes has been held since last week, following his confession he sent a letter to the English-language Cambodia Daily warning of an attack on the US Embassy.

Embassy officials have said they did not consider the letter a credible threat.

Lt. Gen. Thong Lim, director of the Ministry of Information's immigration department, said Saturday the government would deport Forbes.

"Because our immigration law also includes deportation, we are implementing our immigration law," he said.

Deportation of Gerald Francis Forbes is up to US embassy in Phnom Penh

Deportation of Threat Writer Up to US: Police

By Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh
21 February 2008

The government is awaiting an official response from the US Embassy on whether they should deport an American citizen following a threatening letter, police said Thursday.

National Police Chief Gen. Hok Lundy told VOA Khmer Thursday that Deputy Prime Minister Sar Kheng had sent an official request to the US Embassy asking whether police should deport Gerald Francis Forbes, 63, who is being held by immigration police.

Forbes was detained Wednesday after he confessed to writing a letter to the English-language Cambodia Daily outlining an alleged attack plan against the US Embassy, police said.

"Forbes will be deported three days from now if we receive a response from the US Embassy," Hok Lundy said.

Embassy officials could not be reached for comment Thursday, but officials have said they do not consider the letter a credible threat.

The Cambodia Daily published parts of the letter Thursday, signed by a "Francis Chow," who warned of a "rocket attack followed by an attempt to overrun the embassy grounds" by "local forces."

"I am a friend of the American government and just passing along what information was overheard in a local restaurant last night," the letter said, according to the Cambodia Daily.

Cambodia to deport U.S. veteran for false threat

Koh Santepheap newspaper reports that Cambodian cops are still on guard in front of the embassy (one of them seems to be dozing off during work) (Photo: Bunry, Koh Santepheap)

Thu Feb 21, 2008

PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Cambodia will deport a U.S. veteran who told journalists that militants were planning a rocket attack on the U.S embassy in Phnom Penh, deputy police chief Sok Phal said on Thursday.

Gerald Forbes, 63, of Hawaii, was arrested for sending e-mails to journalists asking them to spread the warning the embassy would be rocketed, then overrun, he said.

"He admitted he did it because he was angry with the slow reception of his pension. In fact there was no group to commit an act of terror," Sok Phal told Reuters without further explanation.

He said Forbes, in the country on a tourist visa, would be deported and never allowed to re-enter Cambodia.

"He has no money for a flight ticket, so we're arranging the ticket for him," Sok Phal said.

A U.S. spokesman said the embassy "never thought it a credible threat", but riot police were sent to guard the embassy on Monday night, when Forbes said the attack would take place.

(Reporting by Ek Madra; Editing by Michael Battye and Jerry Norton)

American Held Over Embassy Letter: Police

By Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh
20 February 2008

Immigration police detained an American citizen Wednesday on suspicion he sent a letter to a local newspaper that caused security concerns for the US embassy, police said.

Gerald Francis Forbes, 53, a former US Marine, was being held and could be deported, though he had not yet been charged with a crime, Lt. Gen. Khieu Sopheak, a spokesman for the Ministry of Interior said.

Cambodian police and military units were deployed late Monday in response to a letter that constituted a security concern, officials said Tuesday.

US embassy officials said they did not consider the letter a credible threat.