The closest thing to a "good" Shiite militia in Iran might be ... Muqtada al-Sadr's

So, do Shia militias exist that are independent or unhappy with Iran’s increasing levels of control over Iraq’s security apparatuses? The answer is a tentative yes. Indeed, one of these militia/political groups might fit that description, and it reportedly has tens of thousands of members. But it’s not exactly a popular group in Washington.

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The scabrous anti-American cleric Muqtada al Sadr could present a body of fighters which, in a roundabout way, could counter both ISIS and Tehran. His troops these days are called the Peace Brigades, and they are essentially a new incarnation of the Mahdi Army, which was used by the Iranians as a proxy during the American occupation of Iraq, fighting coalition forces and killing scores of them. And Sadr’s followers are not exactly inclined to cooperate with U.S. forces now. Fighters belonging to his Peace Brigades even claimed to suspend operations during the battle in Tikrit in protest against the use of American airpower in Iraq. Sadr has a history of ethnic cleansing and also of attacks on coreligionists, particularly more moderate players, including the horrific murder by his supporters of Sayyid Abdul Majid al Khoei in 2003.

Yet, if the priority is to counter Iran while fighting ISIS, an American modus vivendi with Sadr may be necessary. Certainly the modus vivendi between Sadr and Tehran is not going well. The Iranians have built up numerous Sadrist splinter groups that put pressure on the leader. At the same time, Sadr’s criticism of the actions of Iranian-controlled militias and his more nationalistic tone—going so far as to suspend his group’s activities after the slaying of an Iraqi Sunni tribal leader—certainly demonstrates a shift.

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