Peru's Fujimori Hunts Former Spy Chief, Critics Skeptical

L I M A, Peru, Oct. 26 -- A bleary-eyed Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori forged ahead today with a tireless, around-the-clock manhunt for the former spy chief threatening his fragile grip on power, even as analysts said his spectacular search may just be a bluff.

Just hours after announcing the manhunt for VladimiroMontesinos, Fujimori left his presidential palace at 2 a.m. local time and — accompanied by his army search team and his daughter — headed north along a main highway.

Fujimori, who said the search was simply to find Montesinosrather than arrest him, last stopped at the rural village of Chaclacayo, about 22 miles from Lima. He personally led an operation on Wednesday with sniffer dogs roaming thehillside and helicopters hovering overhead.

Montesinos, Peru’s most unpopular political figure due to aseries of alleged rights abuses, was at the center of acorruption scandal that led Fujimori to make the shockannouncement five weeks ago that he would quit next July, four years early, after holding elections.

Fujimori also fired Montesinos — his top aide during 10 years in power — prompting the disgraced spy chief to fly to Panama.

But Montesinos returned unexpectedly to Peru on Mondayafter the failed asylum bid.

Seeking Montesinos for His Own Safety

Fujimori today sent reporters scurrying right and left as he strode about, pointing and frowning in his most attention-grabbing maneuver since the return.

Shouting to reporters through a megaphone from theroadside, the president said he just wanted to find him — for his own safety.

“The operation will continue day and night until he isfound, to give him security out of respect for a person who has fought against terrorism and narco-trafficking ,” he said.

Montesinos has not been seen in public since he returned.

What would happen when Fujimori found him remained unclear.Talk that Montesinos could flee again, perhaps to Venezuela, has swirled in recent days.