1.   A month after the U.S. forces arrived, villagers complain that GIs are siding with local strongmen once allied with the discredited military regime.

2.   In Mexican political terms, the Tentorys are caciques, local strongmen who treat their communities almost as personal fiefdoms.

3.   Local strongmen and ward heelers of whatever party will still wield power in crossroad hamlets, villages and towns.

4.   They have been subjected to domination by local strongmen and have suffered racist discrimination and humiliation.

5.   However, international officials say thousands of the former Serb and Croat apartments are occupied by local Muslim strongmen and politicians who own several apartments.

6.   Forces loyal to the two local strongmen have clashed several times since they fought together to oust the Taliban from the city with US-air support in November.

7.   The local strongman is the chief of staff of the former government army, General Augustin Bizimungu.