Pol Pot 'retired'

BANGKOK (Reuter) - Khmer Rouge guerrillas, making a rare mention of the man who orchestrated their 1975-79 reign of terror in Cambodia, said that Pol Pot had definitely retired. The statement was issued at a time of increased international concern over a Khmer Rouge refusal to go along with a United Nations-supervised peace plan for Cambodia and speculation that they may be following a secret agenda to regain total power.

It has been widely assumed that the seldom-seen Pol Pot is still directing the Communist group from secret bases. Their current president is Khieu Samphan, Pol Pot's old right-hand man.