1. __________________ President Mohammed Morsi was ousted by the military in July after millions protested against his rule. He is supported by secularists and moderate Muslims, and opposed mainly by the Muslim Brotherhood.

2. __________________ The Muslim Brotherhood is a widespread Islamist organization which seeks to Islamize societies from the ground up and compel governments in Muslim countries to adhere to sharia, or Islamic law.

3. __________________ Millions of Egyptians called for Morsi's ouster because he pushed through a new constitution in Dec. 2012 that was enshrined in Islamic (Sharia) law, and decreed greater powers for himself, giving his decisions immunity from judicial review.

4. __________________ Christians make up 10% of Egypt’s population; and were only a small part of the many Egyptians who opposed President Morsi and called for his ouster.

5. __________________ On Aug. 14 after the Egyptian military attacked Morsi supporters and killed hundreds, the Muslim Brotherhood called on Egyptians across the country to stay calm and refuse to use the attacks by the military as an excuse to attack Christian churches.

6. __________________ After the Muslim Brotherhood's call for a "Friday of Martyrs" on Aug. 23 to oppose Morsi's ouster and the military-led government, millions of Brotherhood members and supporters staged demonstrations across Egypt.

7. __________________ Bashar Assad is the autocratic president of Syria. Following peaceful protests against him in 2011, Assad cracked down on protesters with violence. It is estimated that 100,000 Syrians have been killed since the civil war began.

8. __________________ The Free Syrian Army makes up the majority of the rebel groups (believed to be moderate) fighting the government. A danger these moderate groups have become aware of is the addition of al-Qaeda linked extremists onto their side.

9. __________________ After more than two years of fighting the opposition groups who want him to leave office, President Assad is believed to have ordered the use of chemical weapons to attack and kill his own citizens.

10. __________________ President Obama has called for strikes against the Syrian government as a response to Assad's use of chemical weapons. The U.N. is expected to participate in any military action against the Syrian government.