American officials say it is unclear whom the units are taking orders from, the ministry or militia commanders.

Later that year, two militia commanders killed civilians while fighting for the right to sodomize a young boy.

But as the troops left on Friday, the 28-year-old militia commander shrugged in disinterest.

"I will send the signal," the militia commander said, but he did not immediately depart.

The three convicted men were not generals, militia commanders or politicians, but media executives.

They passed this information on to the local militia commander and continued to monitor the situation by radio for the next half hour.

From this, the militia commander could only draw one supposition.

The writer said that he was a senior militia commander and that his right arm had been torn off.

The local militia commander had been warned that trouble was afoot.