American deported from Vietnam after being convicted on terrorism charge

Sunday, November 12th 2006, 9:28 pm

By: News On 6

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) Vietnam deported an American woman who was convicted last week on terrorism charges for plotting to seize radio airwaves to call for an uprising against the communist government, her brother and a court official said Monday.

Nguyen Thuong ``Cuc'' Foshee, 58, of Orlando, Florida, flew out of the country from the Ho Chi Minh City airport Monday morning, said her brother, Nguyen Phu Tri, who dropped her off at the immigration department.

Phan Tanh, deputy head of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Court, said the court decided to release Foshee 29 days before the end of her 15-month sentence because of health reasons. She had been held without charge since September 2005 before being convicted along with seven others on Friday.

The case had attracted Washington's attention just before President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice planned to make their first visit to Hanoi for the 21-nation Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. It's Vietnam's biggest-ever event.