On the Al Basrah Oil Terminal, the Iraqis live in what the Americans call "The White House."

CE2 Carl Harms helps pull in a load of food from a supply ship at the Al Basrah Oil Terminal off the coast of Iraq on Wednesday, August 12, 2009.

Just to give an idea of scale...the smallest is an Iraqi defender (right), a dhow, and a VLCC (Very Large Crude Carrier.)

The crew of a RHIB (rigid hull inflatable boat) get a treat - a case of root beer - from the Al Basrah Oil Terminal off the coast of Iraq on Tuesday, August 11, 2009. The RHIB was from one of the many small boys surrounding the terminal.

The Al Basrah Oil Terminal is covered in scars from shrapnel, mortars, bullets...the salty sea air turns the jagged edges to rusty, brittle acne that catches your soles and sleeves and pant legs and slowly weakens the structure.

I like making photos of the bows/foc'sles of ships, and I loved the whole visual-ness of the Al Basrah Oil Terminal, so here is a combination of the two.