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As Iraq's Shiite Militias Expand Their Reach, Concerns about an ISIS Revival Grow
(Washington Post) Tamer El-Ghobashy and Mustafa Salim - Iraq's large and well-armed Shiite militias are now running many of the Sunni areas they helped liberate from the Islamic State, fostering local resentments that could fuel a resurgence of support for the extremist group. Shiite militias numbering 150,000 fighters have fanned out across Iraq's Sunni heartland, including the provinces of Anbar, Salahuddin and Nineveh, where they operate checkpoints along major roads, levying taxes on truckers moving oil, household goods and food. Some militiamen are demanding protection money from businesses, while shaking down motorists at checkpoints to permit them to pass. The militias are also deciding which Sunni families are allowed to return to their homes. In several towns, militia leaders have compelled local councils to invalidate the property rights of Sunnis who supported the Islamic State. The practice has led to major demographic changes in traditionally mixed Sunni-Shiite areas.