109 HCON 492 IH: Urging the Government of the United States U.S. House of Representatives 2006-09-29 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

IV 109th CONGRESS 2d Session H. CON. RES. 492 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 29, 2006 Mr. Hinchey (for himself, Ms. Lee, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Farr, Ms. Waters, Ms. Solis, Mr. McNulty, Mr. McDermott, and Mr. Stark) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations CONCURRENT RESOLUTION Urging the Government of the United States to declare that it does not intend to establish a long-term or permanent military occupation of Iraq, and to work with the United Nations to convene an international conference on Iraq’s future.

Whereas it has become increasingly obvious that the rationale for the military invasion of Iraq was based upon information and intelligence that was falsified and misleading; Whereas the subsequent occupation of Iraq has resulted in conditions that have led to the deterioration of economic and social conditions as well as increasing tensions between Iraq’s ethnic communities; Whereas United States military, diplomatic, and economic policies have not sufficiently acknowledged the complicated tensions among Shia, Sunni, and Kurdish Iraqis, and within these three ethnic groups; Whereas the United States Government has not sufficiently set conditions for Iraqis to take the lead in providing security for their people and completing their political transition; Whereas Iraq is a country on the verge of disintegration, already indicating conditions of civil war, making it a potential haven for radical jihadists from other nations in the Middle East and around the world; Whereas the United States failure to acknowledge cultural tensions, and implement an adequate strategy to address these tensions, has exacerbated the hostility among factions and the development of international terrorism in Iraq and elsewhere around the world; Whereas the insurgency in Iraq is growing in strength and destructive ability because an increasing number of Iraqis, especially Sunnis, are strengthening their opposition to United States occupation; Whereas the strength of the insurgency may also be attributed to a substantial number of Iraqi civilian casualties of war, as well as the increasingly brutal tactics of governing Shiites against the Sunnis; Whereas the United States attempts at public diplomacy have not sufficiently addressed the low public approval ratings of the United States among nations of the Middle East and in the Arab and Muslim world; and Whereas the continuation of a United States presence in Iraq facilitates the increase of international terrorism and weakens our relationships with other countries of the Middle East: Now, therefore, be it

That— (1)Congress urges the Government of the United States to declare that it does not intend to establish a long-term or permanent military occupation of Iraq, including establishing permanent military bases in Iraq; (2)Congress urges the Government of the United States to work with the United Nations to convene an international conference with the participation of the League of Arab States, the European Union, Russia, China, Japan, and Israel; and (3)at such a conference, the United States should work with the other nations to— (A)develop a plan for the peaceful accommodation of Iraq’s diverse cultural groups, including Shias, Sunnis, and Kurds, within Iraq; (B)establish a system to help settle disputes among Iraq’s diverse cultural groups; (C)bring terrorists in Iraq to justice; (D)assist in the harmonious and productive involvement of countries of the region with the rest of the world; and (E)adopt a comprehensive, international program to address and eliminate the dangerous and destructive activities of terrorist organizations active in Iraq and elsewhere around the world.