On the other side are the 120,000 soldiers of the regular armed forces plus 200,000 peasants in village militias.

Komer focused his work on the expansion of village militias loyal to the South Vietnamese government, believing they could provide local security against guerrillas.

In a separate clash in Siirt Province, rebels killed two members of a village militia and an army officer, officials said.

Joseph Trumpeldor and his ten men attempted to influence the Shiites and roving village militias to go away through negotiation.

In 1692, at age forty-seven, he was a corporal in the village militia.

He has said the village militias would rely on a combination of "older weapons and traditional ones."

And the village militias are untested, often corrupt and of questionable loyalty.

They play mock war games that include guerrilla attacks on villages and successful village militia and army counterattacks.

They rarely meet opposition from the village militia, who have no training and not enough ammunition to put up a fight even if they wanted to.

Joseph Trumpeldor and ten men attempted to drive the Shiites and roving village militias away.