While Iraqi politicians continue wrangling over the cabinet here, and Democrats and Republicans continue wrangling over the war back in the U.S., we just keep doing our daily jobs. Iraqis keep their heads down and try to survive in the midst of conditions most Americans can’t begin to fathom. And mother nature continues doing what mother nature has been doing in this region for centuries.
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As the choking sand descended, most of us emerged from our parking garage to gape at the orange and yellow skies. You couldn’t see more than 50 feet away. Everything turned murky, and our faces were coated with a fine grains of sand as soon as we stepped out of our trailers. It was surreal.