Big Oil Is Fueling a Rise in Cancer in Iraq’s Basra

Big Oil Is Fueling a Rise in Cancer in Iraq’s Basra

In Aradah, a southern Iraqi town of just over 50,000 people, the end of the day arrives quietly, veiled in a haze that seems to rise from the earth itself. The sun lingers low and heavy, casting long shadows across the dusty lanes. The smell of sun-warmed tomatoes rises from crates stacked at market stalls, where vendors call out prices with the ease of routine. A butcher wipes his hands on his apron and returns to trimming lamb hung from metal …