[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 28 Referred in House (RFH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. CON. RES. 28


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 13, 1993

  Referred jointly to the Committees on Foreign Affairs and Banking, 
                       Finance and Urban Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the Taif Agreement and 
     urging Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon, and for other purposes.

Whereas the Governments of Syria and Lebanon have participated in the Middle 
        East peace process and progress has been made in negotiations;
Whereas Syria continues to exert undue influence upon the Government of Lebanon, 
        maintaining between thirty-five thousand and forty thousand soldiers in 
        Lebanon;
Whereas in Senate Concurrent Resolution 129 and House Concurrent Resolution 339 
        of the One Hundred Second Congress, Congress called upon Syria to 
        withdraw its armed forces to the gateway of the Bekaa Valley by 
        September 1992 in accordance with the Taif Agreement of 1989, as a 
        prelude to complete withdrawal from Lebanon;
Whereas Syria has pledged publicly and privately to abide by the Taif Agreement;
Whereas the Taif Agreement requires that two years after specific Lebanese 
        political conditions are reached, Syria and Lebanon are to decide on the 
        redeployment of Syrian troops to the gateway of the Bekaa Valley, with 
        actual redeployment occurring shortly thereafter;
Whereas Syria has not begun withdrawing its armed forces to the gateway of the 
        Bekaa Valley despite the fact that more than two years have passed since 
        Lebanon met the political conditions listed in the Taif Agreement;
Whereas Syria's pledge to uphold the Taif Agreement requires it to oppose any 
        action which threatens Lebanese security, independence, or sovereignty;
Whereas there is evidence that armed groups continue to operate in Lebanon with 
        the acquiescence of the Syrian Government;
Whereas the success of the Taif Agreement depends upon the withdrawal of Syrian 
        armed forces to the gateway of the Bekaa Valley without further delay 
        and the disarmament of all armed militias in Lebanon;
Whereas the Government of Syria is currently prohibited by law from receiving 
        United States Government assistance;
Whereas in Senate Concurrent Resolution 129 and House Concurrent Resolution 339 
        of the One Hundred Second Congress, the Congress urged the Government of 
        Lebanon to hold elections if they can be free and fair, conducted after 
        Syrian withdrawal and without outside interference, and witnessed by 
        international observers;
Whereas truly free and fair elections in Lebanon are not possible in areas of 
        foreign military control;
Whereas the Lebanese elections of September 1992 were held before the withdrawal 
        of foreign armed forces;
Whereas international observer units were not present to monitor the Lebanese 
        elections;
Whereas according to the State Department, there were widespread reports of 
        electoral irregularities; and
Whereas more than half of the Lebanese people refrained from participating in or 
        boycotted the Lebanese elections: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), 
That the Congress--
            (1) commends the Governments of Syria and Lebanon for their 
        participation in the Middle East peace process and encourages 
        their continued cooperation in efforts to reach a broad 
        settlement of ongoing regional conflicts and disputes;
            (2) expresses its support for the sovereignty, political 
        independence, and territorial integrity of Lebanon;
            (3) considers the Government of Syria in violation of the 
        Taif Agreement because it had not decided, in coordination with 
        the Government of Lebanon, to withdraw its armed forces to the 
        gateway of the Bekaa Valley by September 1992, with actual 
        withdrawal to that point following shortly thereafter;
            (4) strongly urges Syria to withdraw its armed forces to 
        the gateway of the Bekaa Valley without further delay;
            (5) calls upon the Governments of Syria and Lebanon to 
        immediately agree upon a firm timetable for the complete 
        withdrawal of Syrian armed forces, including military, 
        paramilitary, and security services, from Lebanon;
            (6) calls upon the President to consider withholding any 
        potential future United States assistance to the Government of 
        Syria, until Syria withdraws its armed forces to the gateway of 
        the Bekaa Valley;
            (7) urges the Secretary of the Treasury to consider 
        directing the United States executive directors of all 
        international financial institutions, such as the International 
        Monetary Fund and the International Bank for Reconstruction and 
        Development, to vote against all potential future loans or 
        assistance to Syria until Syria withdraws its armed forces to 
        the gateway of the Bekaa Valley;
            (8) reaffirms the continued applicability of all 
        prohibitions, restrictions, limitations, and directives that 
        would otherwise apply to Syria;
            (9) calls upon the Government of Syria to increase its 
        cooperation with the Government of Lebanon in efforts to disarm 
        nongovernmental armed groups and militias located in Lebanon, 
        especially Hizbollah, in southern Lebanon;
            (10) urges the President to consider methods of 
        revitalizing the Taif Agreement and to encourage the 
        negotiation of a firm, negotiated timetable for complete 
        withdrawal of Syrian armed forces from Lebanon, in order to 
        facilitate the restoration of Lebanon's sovereignty, political 
        independence, and territorial integrity; and
            (11) concurs with the Department of State that the results 
        of the Lebanese elections do not reflect the full spectrum of 
        the body politic of Lebanon.

            Passed the Senate July 1 (legislative day, June 30), 1993.

            Attest:

                                             WALTER J. STEWART,

                                                             Secretary.