He said al-Sadr's call for a cease-fire to his Mehdi Army militia also reflects such progress.
One leader who has recently come into the fold is the Shia preacher, Muqtada al-Sadr.
Al-Sadr's chief Shiite political rival, Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, said that only Iraqis should control Iraq.
They then travelled to the Al-Sadr Hospital, where they saw the body bags being opened.
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Rogue elements of the Mahdi Army are ignoring Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's seven-month-old ceasefire order.
Thousands turned up at the Kufa mosque after rumors swirled that Sadr was back home.
But perhaps more important: Sadr took his followers to task for not obeying orders.
Sheik Salah al-Obaydi, head of Sadr's media committee, says they have dealt with the rogue elements.
There is also an attempt among other Shiite politicians to isolate Sadr, despite Maliki's support.
Al-Sadr distributed a letter this week praising Mehdi Army members for their efforts during the fighting.
Mr Sadr agreed in principle last month to trade armed insurgency for peaceful party politics.
Authorities warned Sadr City residents to be careful if they ventured into the streets.
Al-Sadr made his offer in a letter to Najaf's Shiite clerical hierarchy, according to al-Rubaie.
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Sheikh Radi al-Qademi, a cleric in a turban and black robes, is Sadr's representative in Syria.
It is not obvious what Mr Sadr hopes to gain from this battle, either.
U.S. forces have been engaging Muqtada al-Sadr's Mehdi Army in Najaf, Karbala and Kufa.
Al-Sadr's movement controls the ministries of Health, Agriculture, Province Affairs, Transportation, Tourism and Civil Society Organizations.
The al-Sadr movement was instrumental in getting al-Maliki the prime minister's position last year.
The recent violence might seem to be a test of al-Sadr's ability to lead, Dehghanpisheh says.
This dissension in al-Sadr's ranks is a development that the cleric had anticipated, Dehghanpisheh says.
Is that observation fair, that he has a narrow base among the supporters of Moqtada al-Sadr?
Not all Shiite militants involved in the Sadr City fighting are members of al-Sadr's Mehdi army.
Iraqi security forces will maintain checkpoints at the entrances of Sadr City to prevent any infiltration.
The U.S. military and Iraq back al-Sadr's commitment to stop attacks by his followers.
Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh denied there were talks with al-Sadr's representatives, directly or indirectly.
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Mr Sadr's followers, by contrast, are shanty-town Shias who have never enjoyed any kind of power.
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Dawa, the oldest Shia party in Iraq, discourages its supporters from joining Mr Sadr's rallies.
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American forces launched further attacks on the militia led by Muqtada al-Sadr in Karbala and Najaf.
Lawmakers loyal to Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and others had been staunch opponents of the security pact.
He is facing rivals like the followers of Moqtada al-Sadr, who is reintroducing himself as a moderate.
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