Alison Meuse

Abdul-Rahman Kassig, who was formerly known as Peter, is shown with a truck filled with aid supplies for Syrian refugees. The American aid worker was seized by the Islamic State in October 2013 and was killed by the group, which released a video Sunday of his beheading.

For U.S. Soldier Turned Aid Worker, The Goal Was To Help Syrians

Alison Meuse

Abdul-Rahman Kassig went to Iraq as a U.S. soldier and returned to the Middle East to establish an aid group. Here's a look at what motivated him to undertake a risky mission that cost him his life.

Syrians killed in a chemical weapons attack were taken to a field hospital in Eastern Ghouta, in the suburbs of Damascus, one year ago on Aug. 21, 2013. More than 1,400 people were killed in the attack blamed on the Syrian government, which continues to besiege the rebel-held area to this day.

A Year Later, Syria's Chemical Weapons Are Gone, But Siege Remains

Alison Meuse

The Damascus suburb hit by a deadly chemical weapons attack a year ago remains surrounded by Syrian government forces who are still trying to squeeze the rebels out.

Iraqis from the Yazidi religious sect were driven from their homes in the northern town of Sinjar by the radical Islamic State. These women found safety in the Kurdish city of Dohuk, but others are trapped in barren mountains and face extremely harsh conditions.

Iraq's Widening War Imperils A Religious Minority

Alison Meuse

The Yazidis are an ancient religious sect concentrated in a remote corner of Iraq. They've been thrust into the spotlight of Iraq's nasty conflict, with thousands taking refuge in barren mountains.

Civilians and emergency personnel inspect the site of a car bomb explosion in the Abbasiyah neighborhood of Syria's central city of Homs on April 29.

With Truce, Syrian Regime On The Verge Of An Important Gain

Alice Fordham

Rebels say they have agreed to retreat from some areas they control in Homs, a city once known as the capital of the revolution.