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Backgrounder: Iraq's Militia Groups

Council on Foreign Relations

Author: Lionel Beehner, Staff Writer
October 26, 2006

Introduction

The presence of militias and death squads in Iraq threatens to drive a wedge between U.S. officials and the government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. The U.S. military and Iraq’s government blame militias for the recent bout of mass kidnappings and sectarian killings. The prime minister has dismissed calls from Washington for a timetable or ultimatum for the Iraqi government to disband the militias. He also criticized a U.S.-led incursion into Sadr City, a Shiite slum in Baghdad and fertile breeding ground for militia members. Recent news reports suggest that major militias like the Mahdi Army may be splintering off into smaller, more localized militias whose loyalties lie elsewhere and whose tactics are more radicalized.

What are the various militia groups in Iraq?

They vary, experts say. There are a growing number of small, homegrown, paramilitary-style brigades being formed by local tribes, religious leaders, and political parties. Many have taken up arms against Iraq's Sunni insurgents since the February 2006 bombing of a Shiite shrine in Samarra. Larger, more established militias, such as the Badr Brigade and the peshmerga, are tied to Iraq's leading political parties, organized along sectarian lines, and in existence to enforce order in their respective regions.

How many militias are in Iraq?

Estimates vary, but U.S. military and intelligence officials say there are at least twenty-three militias in operation, according to the Washington Post. They range in capability and effectiveness, and the majority of them are Shiite. Many are offshoots of larger organizations like the Mahdi Army that have grown more radicalized in recent months.

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Copyright 2006 by the Council on Foreign Relations. This material is republished on GlobalSecurity.org with specific permission from the cfr.org. Reprint and republication queries for this article should be directed to cfr.org.