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Memri
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Memri
Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM) Weekly: May 24-31, 2025
The following are some of this week's reports from the MEMRI Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM) Project, which translates and analyzes content from sources monitored around the clock, among them the most important jihadi websites and blogs. (To view these reports in full, you must be a paying member of the JTTM; for membership information, send an email to jttmsubs@ with "Membership" in the subject line.) Note to media and government: For a full copy of these reports, send an email with the title of the report in the subject line to media@ Please include your name, title, and organization in your email. EXCLUSIVE: Palestinian Factions, Iran-Backed Iraqi Militias, Jihadi Clerics Celebrate Deadly Shooting At Jewish Event In Washington DC By Pro-Palestinian Activist Who Yelled 'Free Palestine!' On May 21, 2025, a shooting attack took place outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., where the American Jewish Committee was holding an event for young professionals. EXCLUSIVE: Reacting To Shooting At Jewish Event In Washington D.C., Iran-Backed Houthi Leader Dismisses 'Biased' Stance, 'Exploitation' Of Incident To Silence Anti-War Voices; Pro-Hamas Media Outlet Likens Shooter To Yahya Sinwar On May 21, 2025, a shooting attack took place outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., where the American Jewish Committee was holding an event for young professionals. EXCLUSIVE: New Sunni Jihadi Organization In Lebanon, The Ahmad Al-Assir Brigade, Calls To Overthrow Lebanon's 'Sectarian Regime' And Establish Muslim Government Under Its Auspices; Says U.S. Embassy Is 'Base Of Collaborators, Agents, And Spies' On May 24, 2025, a new Sunni jihadi organization in Lebanon opened a Telegram channel (at the time of writing its followers numbered 17) and posted an approximately three-minute video announcing its establishment. EXCLUSIVE: "The Free Masked Man Movement" – A New Opposition Organization In Saudi Arabia, Comes Out Against The "Tyranny And Corruption" Of The Royal Family; Builds Military And Security Capabilities Towards A Possible Confrontation With The Authorities On May 22, 2025, a new opposition movement to the Saudi regime announced its establishment. EXCLUSIVE: Nigerian Islamist Cleric With Ties To 2009 'Underwear Bomber' Denied Entry To Saudi Arabia, Sent Back To Nigeria A Nigerian cleric was deported from Saudi Arabia while attempting to perform the Hajj pilgrimage. Syrian Opposition Group Claims Attack Against Russian Forces At Khmeimim Air Base in Syria's Latakia Governorate, Threatens Russia To Leave Syria Within Month Or 'We'll Send You Back To Russia As Headless Corpses' On May 21, 2025, a Syrian opposition group released an announcement on its Telegram channel claiming that two former HTS (Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham) operatives were killed in an "inghimasi" operation (commando-style attack behind enemy lines) against Russian forces at the Khmeimim Air Base, in Syria's Latakia governorate. In Interview With Lebanese Daily, Shari'a Official Of Syria's Ansar Al-Sunnah Battalions Declares Targeting Minorities Current Priority, Denies Affiliation With Islamic State (ISIS) In recent months, a new jihadi group has emerged in Syria claiming attacks on religious minorities, particularly Alawites and Druze. Anti-Syrian Government Faction Shares Memo Attributed To ISIS Threatening Security Personnel, Foreign Fighters: 'Repent Before It Is Too Late' On May 23, 2025, a Telegram channel which is affiliated with the country's Shi'ite Alawite community shared an alleged copy of a memo attributed to the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria, which it said was circulated on outlets "close to the organization." Islamic Resistance Front In Syria – Formidable In Might Militia Tightens Relations With Hizbullah-Backed Baqiyat Allah Brigades On May 23, 2025, the Islamic Resistance Front in Syria – Formidable in Might militia posted a joint press release on its Telegram channel with a militia which is backed by Lebanese Hizbullah, announcing that the leadership of both factions had recently held "a wide-ranging coordination meeting." Fatwa By Syria-Based Jihadi Clerics: Normalization With Israel Apostasy From Islam On May 22, 2025, a Syrian committee comprised of ten Islamic clerics based in Syria under the supervision of an Egyptian-born cleric, published a fatwa on its Telegram channel ruling that normalizing relations with Israel is forbidden by Islam and anyone who does so becomes an apostate, whose life and property are forfeit. Houthi Ansar Allah Movement Claims Two Same-Day Ballistic Missile Attacks On Israel's Ben Gurion Airport, Two Drone Attacks On Unidentified 'Vital Sites' In Haifa, Tel Aviv On May 22, 2025, the Iran-backed Ansar Allah Movement (the Houthis) issued statements claiming missile and drone attacks targeting Israel's Ben Gurion Airport as well as two unidentified "vital" sites in Haifa and Tel Aviv. Ansar Allah Houthi Movement Claims Ballistic Missile Attack On Ben Gurion International Airport Yemen's Ansar Allah Houthi Movement claimed responsibility for firing missiles at Ben Gurion International Airport, as well as a "vital target" near Tel Aviv, Israel. In His Weekly Speech, Yemen's Ansar Allah (Houthi) Movement Leader Denounces 'Atrocities' In Gaza, Calls For Islamic Awakening, Reaffirms Houthis' Continuous Support Of Gaza Against Israel On May 22, 2025, Yemen's Ansar Allah (Houthi) Movement's leader delivered his weekly speech in which he denounced the worsening humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, criticizing Arab and Western alleged complicity. Pro-Hizbullah Daily: Southern Syrian Tribes Seeking Weapons, Training From Parties In Turkey To Confront Israel, Syrian Government On May 24, 2025, a pro-Hizbullah Lebanese daily published an article which quoted "field sources" in southern Syria's Daraa governorate, who claimed that "security tensions" have increased in the area due to the incursions of Israeli forces and fears of a resurgence of Islamic State (ISIS) cells, which were previously active in the area. Iran-Backed Media Outlets React To Yemen's Ansar Allah (Houthi) Movement's 'Naval Blockade' Of Haifa Port On May 19, 2025, Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi Ansar Allah Houthi Movement declared the imposition of a naval blockade of Israel's Port of Haifa. Islamic State (ISIS) Provinces Escalate Attacks Across West Africa The Islamic State (ISIS) in West Africa and the Sahel launched coordinated attacks on military targets in Nigeria and Niger, causing significant casualties, destruction, and seizure of military equipment and facilities. Islamic State (ISIS) Weekly Newsletter Praises West Africa Province For Attacks On Military Camps In Nigeria, Niger And Cameroon On May 22, 2025, the Islamic State (ISIS) released issue 496 of its weekly newsletter. ISKP Magazine Questions Encryption Claims Of Messaging App, Cautions Jihadis Against Using It, Assesses Security Of WhatsApp, Telegram, WeChat, Facebook, TikTok, Signal The most recent issue of an English-language monthly magazine published by a media outlet linked to the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), which defines itself as a supporting entity for the Islamic State (ISIS)," features a long article cautioning Islamic State fighters who started switching from Telegram to new social media platform Gem Space in view of the latter's weak security. Posters By Pro-Islamic State (ISIS) Media Outlets Present Perpetrators Of Attacks In The West As Role Models, Encourage Media Incitement Of Jihad On May 23, 2025, the Islamic State (ISIS) official English-language media outlet published English translations of two posters by unofficial pro-ISIS media groups inciting attacks in the West and media jihad. ISIS Supporter Shares Post Arguing That Inciting Violence, Expressing Support For Terror Groups Is Permissible According To U.S. Free Speech Laws On May 24, 2025, a user on the Islamic State (ISIS)-operated server shared a post from an X (formerly Twitter) account. Islamic State (ISIS) Supporters Launch Fundraising Campaign For Jihad, Encourage Muslims To Be 'Mujahideen' With Their Wealth On May 24, 2025, a platform that publishes and spreads official Islamic State (ISIS) material advertised a fundraising campaign for a mujahideen organization. Reacting To Reports Of AI Model That Blackmailed Users, Islamic State (ISIS) Supporter Envisions Similar Model Created For Jihadi Activity On May 25, 2025, a user of the Islamic State (ISIS)-operated server envisioned the creation of an artificial intelligence (AI) engine by jihadis and their supporters. Pro-Islamic State (ISIS) Outlet Releases Posters Exploiting Death Of Pope Francis To Discourage Interfaith Tolerance On May 19, 2025, a pro-Islamic State (ISIS) media outlet released two English-language translations of posters originally created by pro-ISIS foundations. Supporter Of Islamic State (ISIS) Warns Against Joining WhatsApp Groups, Advises Other Supporters To Stay On Encrypted Forums A supporter of the Islamic State (ISIS) warned other supporters against joining WhatsApp groups which require phone numbers. Anti-ISIS Outlet Claims ISIS's Central Media Is 'Powerless' As Supporter Outlet Continues Fraudulent Activities, Noncompliance With Organization's Rules An anti-Islamic State (ISIS) channel on the Al-Qaeda-operated server posted a report highlighting ISIS's central media's inability to control a prolific pro-ISIS media outlet's non-adherence to the rules of the organization governing the dissemination of exclusive claims. Al-Qaeda Affiliate GSIM Documents Attack On Military Position In Central Mali; 40 Soldiers Killed, Vehicles And Large Quantities Of Military Equipment Captured On May 23, 2025, the official media outlet of Al-Qaeda's affiliate in the African Sahel, Jama'at Nusrat Al-Islam Wal-Muslimeen (the Group for Support of Islam and Muslims – GSIM), issued a brief "breaking" claim of an attack on a military position in Dioura, in central Mali's Mopti region, in which the group's fighters seized control over the site, adding that there were "reports of heavy casualties in the enemy ranks." Al-Qaeda Affiliate In Somalia Al-Shabab Claims Responsibility For Killing Two Ugandan Soldiers And Damaging The French Embassy In An Attack On Halane Training Facility In Mogadishu On May 20, 2025, the media arm of Al-Qaeda's affiliate in Somalia, Harakat Al-Shabab Al-Mujahideen (Al-Shabab), claimed responsibility for shelling the Halane Training Facility, described as the largest military base hosting international forces and "dozens" of Western embassies in Mogadishu. Pro-Al-Qaeda Ideologue Lambasts Arab Gulf States After Trump's Middle East Tour: 'If Supporting The Head Of Global Heresy With Trillions Is Not Heresy, Then There Is Not Heresy In The World[;] Do You Understand Who Is Funding The War Against Islam And Muslims?' An Al-Qaeda ideologue accused Arab Gulf States of betraying Muslims after their leaders recently received President Trump during his Middle East tour and concluded investment deals with Washington. Afghan Taliban Leader Mullah Hibbatullah Akhundzada To Cadets: 'Do Not Abandon Jihad, Do Not Abandon Supporting The Mujahideen, Do Not Be Afraid Of These Unbelievers... Prepare Yourselves For Martyrdom, Prepare Yourselves For Prison' On May 1, 2025, the Afghan Taliban's state-owned RTA TV released a Pashto-language video showing Taliban cadets demonstrating various skills at a graduation ceremony attended by senior Taliban leaders, including the Defense Minister Mullah.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Saudi authorities release Iranian cleric arrested for bad mouthing Kingdom, Sunnah
Iranian cleric Ghasemian was arrested in Mecca for insulting Saudi Arabia but was quickly released and returned to Iran before completing Hajj. Both countries downplayed the incident. Hojjatoleslam Gholamreza Ghasemian, a cleric and TV presenter affiliated with the Iranian regime and close to Khamenei's household, was recently released after being arrested inMecca for filming a video that insulted the Saudi government and Sunni beliefs, while on Saudi soil. Ghasemian uploaded the video earlier this week, as he was on pilgrimage in Mecca. He addressed his viewers with a Quranic verse about divine punishment for wrongdoers before launching a sharp critique of conditions in Saudi Arabia's holy cities. He sarcastically suggested that viewers could "just travel to Makkah and Madinah" instead of going to Antalya, Turkey, claiming that the Saudis, whom he referred to as "merchants and usurpers' of Mecca, have established "gambling houses, prostitution centers, and raunchy concerts" in the holy cities. He then proceeded to compare these alleged conditions to "the Umayyad workhouses," a historical reference to the dynasty of rulers of the 7th-8th centuries Islamic empire, traditionally viewed in Islamic historiography as having strayed from Islam. The Iranian cleric emphasized in his video that "what is happening here… represents not just atheism, but the essence of atheism." Ghasemian urged his followers: 'Don't be fooled by diplomatic visits,' referring to Saudi-Iranian relations. He highlighted what he deemed were severe restrictions on pilgrims, suggesting that these conditions signal divine intervention is imminent. Finally, Ghssemian concluded with a prayer that the Shiite "Owners of the House (of Allah) would 'retake' Mecca out of the hands of the 'merchants and usurpers of the Qibla." Strikingly, Iranian state media reported the arrest as a result of 'comments Ghasemian made regarding the situation in Mecca and Madina', without disclosing any further information regarding the defamatory content of the cleric's address, and without posting the video he made. Despite Ghasemian's defamatory comments and the backlash they drew on social media, the countries decided to sustain a de-escalated diplomatic atmosphere. During Ghasemian's arrest, Alireza Enayati, the Islamic Republic's ambassador to Saudi Arabia, lauded Saudi Arabian authorities for 'making every effort to serve Iranian pilgrims.' He added, without referring directly to the arrest, that 'Iranian pilgrims respect the sanctity of these places and adhere to the prevailing laws, and no one accepts obscene and offensive words." From their part, Saudi state-controlled media outlets maintained a resounding silence, avoiding reports regarding the affair. Ghasemian's quick release may also signify a will to remain on good terms with Iran, despite the perceived grave offense of badmouthing the kingdom. Ghasemian returned to Iran on Thursday, and local social media accounts showed crowds celebrating his arrival at the airport. However, online users noted that his return from Saudi Arabia at this time means that he was prevented from completing the Hajj, as the rituals are still ongoing.
Nahar Net
2 days ago
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Assad's fall in Syria turned Turkey and Saudi Arabia from rivals to partners. Will it last?
by Naharnet Newsdesk 29 May 2025, 12:54 Sunni regional powerhouses Turkey and Saudi Arabia have had a complicated and often contentious relationship over the years. But their ties warmed significantly after Bashar Assad was toppled in neighboring Syria in a lightning rebel offensive in December. Since then, Turkey and Saudi Arabia have worked to stabilize the new government in Damascus and usher Syria back into the international fold. It was no surprise then that the first trips abroad that Syria's insurgent-leader-turned-President Ahmad al-Sharaa made were to the kingdom's capital of Riyadh and Ankara, Turkey's capital. That new Turkey-Saudi amiability was on display during U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to the Middle East earlier this month, when he held a surprise meeting with al-Sharaa in Riyadh. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was in the room, while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan joined the meeting by phone. When Trump announced he was lifting sanctions imposed on Syria, he credited both the crown prince and Erdogan with persuading him to make the move. Roots of a rocky relationship There have been "both regional and ideological reasons" for the Turkey-Saudi rivalry in the past, according to Sinem Cengiz, a Turkish researcher at Qatar University's Gulf Studies Center. Both countries enjoy the status of so-called "middle powers" — states that are influential globally but lack the clout of great powers — which has "fueled competition for regional dominance," she said. The two also have different approaches to political Islam. Turkey has backed the Muslim Brotherhood, a pan-Arab Islamist movement that Saudi Arabia considers a terror organization, as do several other Middle East countries. After the 2011 Arab Spring swept across the region, Turkey openly supported the popular uprisings while the kingdom remained circumspect. However, both Ankara and Riyadh backed anti-Assad factions in Syria's 13-year civil war. When Saudi Arabia and Qatar, another wealthy Gulf Arab state, had a diplomatic blowup in 2017, Turkey sided with Qatar. The lowest point in relations came in 2018 when a Saudi hit squad killed Jamal Khashoggi — a Saudi citizen and U.S. resident who wrote critically about the Saudi government for The Washington Post — at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. Turkish officials — who had access to audio recordings from inside the consulate — alleged that Khashoggi was killed in a premeditated operation by Saudi agents and dismembered with a bone saw. Prince Mohammed acknowledged the killing came under his watch but denied he ordered it, though U.S. intelligence agencies believe that he did. How did Assad's fall improve relations? Analysts say Assad's fall and the new reality in Syria intensified a thaw that was already underway between the two major U.S. allies. Hesham Alghannam, a Saudi political scientist and nonresident scholar at the Carnegie Middle East Center think tank, says it was an impetus that "significantly transformed Turkey-Saudi relations." Their interests aligned in a post-Assad Syria, so the two shifted "from rivalry to pragmatic cooperation," Alghannam said. Ankara and Riyadh shared concerns about Iran's outsized influence in Syria under Assad — which disappeared with Assad's ouster — and the two now want to insure Tehran' doesn't stage a comeback, he added. They also had their own security concerns in Syria — Turkey because of its long unstable border with Syria and Turkish insurgent Kurdish groups that have sought safe havens with Syrian Kurds. For its part, the kingdom has worried about the smuggling of the highly addictive Captagon in the region, an amphetamine-like stimulant that had been a main source of revenue for Assad. "Their mutual need to counter Iran, manage Syria's instability, and shape a Sunni-led government (post-Assad) has fostered a partnership," Alghannam said. Riyadh and Ankara have also recently established a united front to counterbalance Israel, which has been suspicious of al-Sharaa, once a leader of a formerly al-Qaida-linked militant group. Since Assad's fall, Israel has launched airstrikes, seized a U.N.-patrolled buffer zone inside Syria and threatened to invade to protect the Druze religious minority after Druze factions clashed with the new Syrian security forces under al-Sharaa. Joint Saudi-Turkey lobbying helped persuade Trump despite opposition in Israel — Washington's strongest ally in the region — to lift the U.S. sanctions on Syria, "in the interest of avoiding any new destabilization," Cengiz said. Today, Saudi Arabia and Turkey believe that like Iran did in the past, "Israel is playing a similarly disruptive role in Syria," she added. Will the cooperation last? With the lifting of Western sanctions paving the way for lucrative reconstruction deals and other investments in the new Syria, analysts say the Riyadh-Ankara alignment is likely to continue. Cengiz said that neither Riyadh nor Ankara can dominate in Syria, so "to maximize their respective interests, both Turkey and Saudi Arabia will need to continue finding ways to work together for a 'win-win' outcome." Alghannam noted other signs of warming relations, including the revival earlier this month of the long-dormant Saudi-Turkish Coordination Council, a body charged with promoting cooperation across political, military, intelligence and economic sectors. There will be arms sales, he said, pointing to Saudi interests in Turkish drones, as well as "joint reconstruction efforts in Syria." While their rivalry could still resurface, "the trend toward Turkey-Saudi cooperation is likely to persist," he concluded. Salem El Yami, a former Saudi foreign ministry official and political analyst, said Syria's new leaders will have "a significant role to play" in balancing ties with allies rather than playing them off against each other. "If Saudi-Turkish coordination succeeds in Syria ... it can be expected to contribute to Syria's stability and, consequently, to the state of calm and stability in the region," he said.
2 days ago
- Politics
EU lifts most Syria sanctions but slaps new ones on alleged culprits in attacks on Alawite civilians
PARIS -- The European Union lifted a wide range of sanctions on Syria on Wednesday, but slapped new ones on people and groups it says participated on attacks on civilians during a wave of violence in the Syrian coastal region in March. The move lifted most sanctions that had been imposed on the country, including on its financial system, while keeping them in place on individuals and organizations in Syria it says violated human rights or for 'security grounds,' like the extended family of former President Bashar Assad or its chemical weapons program, according to the text of the European Council on the decision. The EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas had announced plans to lift the sanctions last week. She said the move was 'conditional' and that sanctions could be resumed if the new government of Ahmad al-Sharaa - a former rebel commander who led the charge that unseated former President Bashar Assad in December - doesn't keep the peace. Kallas said in a statement Wednesday that removing sanctions 'is simply the right thing to do, at this historic time, for the EU to genuinely support Syria's recovery and a political transition that fulfils the aspirations of all Syrians.' Wednesday's decision slapped 'restrictive measures' on two people and three armed groups that were accused of 'targeting civilians and especially the Alawite community' - referring to the religious minority to which Assad belongs - during violence in March on the coast and of torture and 'arbitrary killings of civilians.' Clashes erupted at the time after a group of Assad loyalists attacked security forces near the coastal city of Latakia. Rights groups reported widespread revenge killings as militants from Syria's Sunni majority - some of them officially affiliated with the new government's security forces - targeted Alawites, regardless of whether they were involved in the insurgency. Hundreds of civilians were killed. The new government in Damascus has promised to hold perpetrators accountable, but a body formed to investigate the violence has yet to release its findings. While there have not been large-scale attacks on Alawites since March, members of the community remain fearful and say that individual incidents of kidnappings and killing continue to take place. The two people targeted by the new sanctions are Mohammad Hussein al-Jasim, leader of the Sultan Suleiman Shah Brigade, and Sayf Boulad Abu Bakr, leader of the Hamza Division, both armed groups that the EU said had taken part in the attacks. The militias were also slapped with new sanctions, as was another armed group, the Sultan Murad Division. The lifting of the broader sanctions on Syria comes days after the United States granted Syria sweeping exemptions from sanctions in a first step toward fulfilling President Donald Trump's pledge to lift a half-century of penalties on a country shattered by 13 years of civil war. A measure by the U.S. State Department waived for six months a tough set of sanctions imposed by Congress in 2019. The easing of sanctions removes one of the major barriers to reconstruction of the country, which the United Nations in 2017 estimated would cost at least $250 billion. Some experts now say that number could reach at least $400 billion. The United Nations estimates that 90% of Syrians live in poverty and state-supplied electricity comes as little as two hours every day. ———— Sewell reported from Beirut.
Euronews
2 days ago
- Politics
- Euronews
EU slaps sanctions on alleged culprits of attacks on Syria's Alawites
The European Union has lifted a wide range of sanctions on Syria but slapped new ones on people and groups it says participated in attacks on civilians during a wave of violence in the coastal region in March. The move removed most sanctions that had been imposed on the country, including on its financial system. But sanctions remain in place on individuals and organisations the EU says violated human rights or for "security grounds." That includes the extended family of former President Bashar al-Assad or the country's chemical weapons programme, according to the text of the European Council on the decision. The EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas had announced plans to lift the sanctions last week. She said the move was "conditional" and that sanctions could be resumed if the new government of Ahmad al-Sharaa, a former rebel commander who led the charge that ousted al-Assad in December, doesn't keep the peace. Kallas said in a statement that removing sanctions "is simply the right thing to do, at this historic time, for the EU to genuinely support Syria's recovery and a political transition that fulfils the aspirations of all Syrians." But Wednesday's decision also slapped "restrictive measures" on two people and three armed groups accused of "targeting civilians and especially the Alawite community." That referred to the religious minority to which al-Assad belongs, during violence in March on the coast and of torture and "arbitrary killings of civilians." The two people targeted by the new sanctions are Mohammad Hussein al-Jasim, leader of the Sultan Suleiman Shah Brigade and Sayf Boulad Abu Bakr, leader of the Hamza Division, both armed groups that the EU said had taken part in the attacks. The militias were also slapped with new sanctions, as was another armed group, the Sultan Murad Division. Clashes erupted after a group of al-Assad loyalists attacked security forces near the coastal city of Latakia. Rights groups reported widespread revenge killings as militants from Syria's Sunni majority, some of them officially affiliated with the new government's security forces, targeted Alawites, regardless of whether they were involved in the insurgency. Hundreds of civilians were killed in the clashes. The new government in Damascus has promised to hold perpetrators accountable, but a body formed to investigate the violence has yet to release its findings. While there have not been large-scale attacks on Alawites since March, members of the community remain fearful and say that individual incidents of kidnappings and killing continue to take place. Since seizing power, al-Sharaa's government has struggled to weld a patchwork of undisciplined former rebel factions together into a national army. The lifting of the broader sanctions on Syria comes days after the United States granted Syria sweeping exemptions from sanctions in a first step toward fulfilling President Donald Trump's pledge to lift a half-century of penalties on a country shattered by 13 years of civil war. A measure by the US State Department waived for six months a tough set of sanctions imposed by Congress in 2019. The easing of sanctions removes one of the major barriers to reconstruction of the country, which the United Nations in 2017 estimated would cost at least $250 billion (€221 billion). Some experts now say that number could reach at least $400 billion (€354 billion). The United Nations estimates that 90% of Syrians live in poverty and state-supplied electricity comes as little as two hours per day.
