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.
