

Protesters dance during a demonstration in Ramadi, Iraq, Jan. 24, 2013. Thousands of Iraqi Sunnis massed along a major western highway in a demonstration, intensifying pressure on the Shiite-led government. Khalid Mohammed/AP
Members of the Sabean Mandaeans, a pre-Christian sect that follows the teachings of John the Baptist, take part in a bathing ritual for Yahya Sadiq (c.) on the Tigris river in Baghdad, Iraq, April 22, 2012. Karim Kadim/AP
Iranian mourners chant slogans, as they cover themselves with mud, during Ashoura rituals, marking the death anniversary of Imam Hussein, the grandson of Islam's Prophet Muhammad, at the city of Bijar, Iran, Nov. 25, 2012. Vahid Salemi/AP
A man counts stacks of Iranian rials on a street in Kerbala, south of Baghdad, Iraq, January 23, 2013. Mushtaq Muhammed/Reuters
Iraqi women work at a brick factory in Baghdad's southeast suburb of Nahrawan, Iraq, Nov. 13, 2012. The workers work 12 hours a day for about $5 US dollars. Hadi Mizban/AP
Shiite pilgrims are seen in Karbala, Iraq, Jan. 23, 2011, as faithful flock to the holy city for Arbaeen, marking the end of the forty-day mourning period after the anniversary of the 7th century martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the Prophet Muhammad's grandson. Ahmed al-Husseini/AP
Protesters chant pro-Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki slogans as they carry a huge Iraqi flag during a demonstration to show support for al-Maliki's government, in Baghdad, Iraq, Jan. 12, 2013. Shiite demonstrators support the prime minister. Khalid Mohammed/AP
Mohammed Ali and his sister Madiha Ali stand near their hut in Amarah, southeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Jan. 25, 2013. The Muhsin family chose to live on marshland in southern Iraq when they were displaced from Abu Gharib due to sectarian violence. Karim Kadim/AP
A worker adjusts the valve of an oil pipe at West Qurna oilfield in Iraq's southern province of Basra, November 28, 2010. China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) has emerged as the frontrunner to take over Iraq's West Qurna-1 oilfield from Exxon Mobil, a move that would diminish Western oil influence in Iraq. Atef Hassan/Reuters
Iraqi soldiers watch residents gather in a celebration for the US troops pull out in Falluja, west of Baghdad, Iraq, December 14, 2011. Mohanned Faisal/Reuters