[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 344 Introduced in House (IH)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 344

   Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Syria, 
  Lebanon, and Iran should be held accountable for the well-being of 
      abducted Israeli civilian Elchanan Tannenbaum, provide the 
International Committee of the Red Cross access to Elchanan Tannenbaum, 
   and take all necessary measures to secure the release of Elchanan 
                              Tannenbaum.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 25, 2003

  Mr. Lantos (for himself, Mr. Ackerman, Mr. Berman, Mr. Wexler, Mr. 
 Engel, and Mr. Crowley) submitted the following resolution; which was 
          referred to the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Syria, 
  Lebanon, and Iran should be held accountable for the well-being of 
      abducted Israeli civilian Elchanan Tannenbaum, provide the 
International Committee of the Red Cross access to Elchanan Tannenbaum, 
   and take all necessary measures to secure the release of Elchanan 
                              Tannenbaum.

Whereas on October 15, 2000, Hizballah announced that Israeli civilian Elchanan 
        Tannenbaum, missing after traveling to Belgium, was being held hostage 
        by Hizballah;
Whereas Elchanan Tannenbaum remains a hostage held by Hizballah in Lebanon;
Whereas on January 5, 2003, Hizballah announced that Elchanan Tannenbaum is 
        alive;
Whereas the taking of hostages or participating as an accomplice in the taking 
        of hostages is considered an act of terror under the International 
        Convention Against the Taking of Hostages;
Whereas the Secretary of State has designated Hizballah as a foreign terrorist 
        organization pursuant to section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality 
        Act;
Whereas the 2002 State Department Report on Foreign Terrorist Organizations 
        stated that Hizballah receives financial, military, political, 
        diplomatic, and organizational support from Iran and from Syria;
Whereas the 2002 State Department Report Patterns of Global Terrorism states 
        that the Lebanese government has recognized Hizballah as a legal 
        organization, allows Hizballah to maintain offices in Beirut, and has 
        refused to freeze the financial assets of Hizballah in Lebanon;
Whereas Syria, Iran, and Lebanon voted in favor of the Universal Declaration of 
        Human Rights in the United Nations General Assembly;
Whereas Elchanan Tannenbaum suffers from several serious medical conditions that 
        are potentially life-threatening without appropriate medical care;
Whereas U.N. General Assembly resolution 43/173 of 9 December 1988, regarding 
        the protection of all persons under any form of detention or 
        imprisonment, requires a proper medical examination to be offered to a 
        detained or imprisoned person as promptly as possible after his 
        admission to the place of detention or imprisonment, and thereafter 
        medical care and treatment shall be provided whenever necessary;
Whereas U.N. General Assembly resolution 43/173 of December 9, 1988, requires 
        that the name of the physician and the results of such an examination 
        shall be duly recorded and access to such records ensured;
Whereas under the provisions of U.N. General Assembly resolution 43/173 of 
        December 9, 1988, Iran, Syria, and Lebanon are obligated to provide 
        medical care for Elchanan Tannenbaum;
Whereas the International Committee of the Red Cross has been denied access to 
        Elchanan Tannenbaum; and
Whereas Israel went to extraordinary lengths to assist the United States in 
        helping to secure the release of Terry Anderson and other American 
        hostages held in Lebanon in 1991: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives 
that--
            (1) the Governments of Syria, Lebanon, and Iran shall be 
        held responsible for the well-being of Elchanan Tannenbaum, who 
        is being held hostage in Lebanon by the terrorist organization 
        Hizballah;
            (2) the Governments of Syria, Lebanon, and Iran shall 
        immediately and unconditionally provide a complete medical 
        accounting of Elchanan Tannenbaum's present state of health to 
        the International Committee of the Red Cross;
            (3) the Governments of Syria, Lebanon, and Iran shall 
        immediately and unconditionally take all necessary measures to 
        provide the International Committee of the Red Cross with 
        ongoing access to Elchanan Tannenbaum; and
            (4) the Governments of Syria, Lebanon, and Iran shall 
        immediately and unconditionally take all necessary measures to 
        secure the release of Elchanan Tannenbaum from captivity.
                                 <all>