Syria's ongoing fighting is increasingly a sectarian conflict with the majority Sunni Muslims facing off against the Alawites who make up most of the country's ruling elite. Here, government opponents rally in the northern town of Mareh on June 29. Vedat Xhymshit/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
People walk through Hamidiyah market in Damascus, Syria, Feb. 28. The merchants of this landmark bazaar were once ardent supporters of President Bashar Assad. That's no longer the case. Bassem Tellawi/AP hide caption
A Syrian youth flashes the victory sign as he stands in front of a building that was covered with anti-government graffiti — though local authorities painted over it — in the town of Duma, outside Damascus, in February. AFP/Getty Images hide caption
The Italian Jesuit priest Paolo Dall'Oglio, shown here at the Syrian Maronite monastery of Deir Mar Musa in 2007, lived in Syria for 30 years before he was expelled Saturday. Dall'Oglio has spoken out in support of protesters who oppose President Bashar Assad. Louai Beshara/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
A Syrian man carries a wounded girl next to Red Crescent ambulances following an explosion Friday reportedly targeting a military bus near Qudssaya, a neighborhood in Damascus. AFP/Getty Images hide caption
Anti-government protesters in the northern Syrian village of Hass protest on Thursday following the deaths of dozens of civilians a day earlier in the village of Mazraat al-Qubair. The banner reads, "The al-Qubair massacre challenges the world's humanity." Edlib News Network/AP hide caption
Morocco's Islamist Justice and Development Party heads the country's new government, the result of snap elections called by the king. Here, Abdelilah Benkirane, the party's secretary general and now prime minister, arrives for an election rally in Sale on Nov. 1. The party now faces political as well as economic challenges. Paul Schemm/AP hide caption
The U.S. is still trying to formulate new policies for the fast-changing politics of the Middle East. Here, Hillary Clinton stands with Libyan fighters who ousted Moammar Gadhafi during an Oct. 18 visit by the U.S. secretary of state to the capital Tripoli. Kevin Lamarque/AFP/Getty Images) hide caption
In this frame grab from an amateur video posted on YouTube, members of the Arab League monitor violence in the Syrian city of Homs this week. YouTube hide caption