The blockwise synthesis of methyl alpha tri- and tetrasaccharide analogs of the biochemical repeating unit of the Shigella dysenteriae type 1 O-polysaccharide is described. Modifications include deoxygenation and deoxyfluorination at position 3 of the galactopyranoside residue. Methyl 4,6-O-benzylidene-3-deoxy-alpha-D-xylo-hexopyranoside (8) and methyl 4,6-O-benzylidene-3-deoxy-3-fluoro-alpha-D-galactopyranoside (9) were condensed with (2,3,4-tri-O-benzoyl-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl)-(1-->3) -2,4-di-O-benzoyl-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl chloride to give, after deprotection, the target trisaccharide methyl alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->3)-alpha-L- rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2)-3-deoxy-alpha-D-xylo-hexopyranoside and the corresponding fluorinated oligosaccharide. For the tetrasaccharide synthesis, the glycosyl acceptors 8 and 9 were condensed with the temporarily protected (2,4-di-O-benzoyl-3-O-chloroacetyl-alpha-L- rhamnopyranosyl)-(1-->3)-2,4-di-O-benzoyl-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl chloride. Removal of the chloroacetyl group was followed by condensation of the resulting selectively deblocked trisaccharides with 3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-2-azido-2-deoxy-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl chloride. Reduction and deprotection then gave the free methyl 2-acetamido-2-deoxy- alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->3)-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl- (1-->3)-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2)-3-deoxy-alpha-D-xylo-hexopyra noside and the fluorinated analog.