A law was proposed to expand the militias controlled by the States, which would relieve the federal budget.

The village was reportedly destroyed by a militia controlled by a militant Shiite Muslim cleric.

Al-Tamimi was removed from office on August 8, 2005, in dramatic fashion by an armed militia controlled by the provincial government.

Los Quesitos is a Colombian militia controlled by drug traffickers.

Most troubling for the Americans, and some Iraqi leaders, is the power of the militia controlled by Mr. Sadr, the Mahdi Army.

Many Sunnis blame militias controlled by Shiite religious parties.

That year, Chiarelli's men participated in a campaign to subdue Baghdad, fighting militias controlled by Moqtada al-Sadr, the radical Shiite cleric.

He said the attackers had not worn masks and were known to people in the neighborhood as members of the Mahdi Army, the Shiite militia controlled by Moktada al-Sadr.

Instead we have seen bitter and tragic civil war between warring factions, Islamic militia and factions controlled by rival war lords.