"I am a commando that waits to return to active duty," Fujimori said in message posted on the "From Tokyo" Internet site he runs in his parents' native Japan. He fled to Japan in November 2000 to escape a corruption scandal that ended his decade-long rule.

Fujimori's resignation arrived in Lima on Nov. 20, 2000. He still faces charges of dereliction of duty and abandonment of office.

Fujimori has also been charged with corruption and murder for sanctioning two massacres of suspected rebel supporters.

Interior Minister Gino Costa said the murder case could be bolstered by the arrest Monday of the former leader of the "Colina" death squad, which is linked to the massacres.

Peru has repeatedly demanded that Japan extradite Fujimori. But Tokyo, which once strongly supported Fujimori, says it can't turn him over to Peru because he is a Japanese citizen. Fujimori was born in Peru but is the son of Japanese immigrants.

Fujimori's Internet message is not the first time he has suggested he might return to Peru, where the next presidential elections will be in 2006. In August, he told a Japanese newspaper that he would like to return and run in elections when Peruvians "realize that the criminal charges I face are misplaced."

Also Tuesday, a dozen people marked the anniversary of Fujimori's flight to Japan by protesting in front of the Japanese Embassy in Lima. They carried signs and shouted "Japan, send back the thief."

Though many Peruvians dislike Fujimori, others remember him as the man who helped defeat leftist guerrillas, end hyperinflation and attract foreign investment.