From the article: "At the time, the storm’s unusual severity was attributed to the ongoing civil war in Syria by media outlets in the Middle East, Europe and t

From the article: "At the time, the storm’s unusual severity was attributed to the ongoing civil war in Syria by media outlets in the Middle East, Europe and the United States. Reports blamed the conflict for changes in land use and cover—and for activities like increased military traffic over unpaved surfaces and farmers reducing irrigation or abandoning agricultural land—that created extreme amounts of dust to fuel the storm." It wasn't really obvious at the time.